NORWAY — Forty years ago, Susan Denison and Marie (pronounced MAH.ree) Howard were classmates at Oxford Hill High School. Howard traveled 26 hours from her home in Napier, New Zealand to attended the 40th reunion of the class of 1973 at Hebron Pines Golf and RV Park on Aug. 3.

Marie was one of 3,000 American Field Service exchange students who came to America that year from all over the world and one of 25 who experienced Maine for the school year.

“In no time at all, I spoke like a Mainer,” laughed Marie. “I had some funny experiences when I was mistaken for a native.”

Marie lived in South Paris with her American family, Dr. and Mrs. Edwin Gibson and her “sister” Ellen, who was also a member of the class of ’73. Marie participated in everyday life at school and made lifelong friends. Members of the Gibson family and Marie’s family have exchanged visits a number of times over the years, and other friends have found each other recently on Facebook.

Marie lived in South Paris when she was an exchange student and wasn’t aware of Norway’s history. Because former classmate Denison is now involved with NHS, some of the gaps are being filled.

Marie has always enjoyed history. At one time, she worked for the a living history museum in Auckland, New Zealand, where she led educational programs for school children, posing as an Irish immigrant and wearing a period costume from 1850. She was sent to America for a month to learn about other living museums such as Plimouth Plantation and Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts.

“AFS helped me develop a personal philosophy of ‘I can’ in any situation I am in,” said Marie.

This determined attitude has taken her on many adventures, including several years to the outback in the Queensland area of Australia, working on a cattle station as a governess for a 5 year old. She also has made seven additional trips to the U.S. and explored areas of the country that have included New Orleans, San Francisco, Delaware, Philadelphia and Alaska, among other places. She always stayed with people in their homes so that she could get an authentic feel for each location.

“The ‘I can’ attitude is also one that I try to teach my students,” said Marie, who has spent a lifetime working with children. She has been a nanny, a primary and early childhood teacher and an educator in New Zealand’s “in-home” programs.

Currently, Marie works for PORSE, which stands stands for Play, Observe, Record, Support, Extend and Evaluate. It is the name of New Zealand’s largest provider of in-home childcare. In addition, she also provides services and creates resource materials for other in-home educators.

After Marie said goodbye to her American family and classmates in 1973, she joined all 3,000 exchange students in upstate New York.

“I will always remember what the the president of AFS said to us. ‘You are a junior United Nations, and you are the future of the world.’ AFS changed my life.”

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