The sight of a dozen college students running around in the streets of Morton last Sunday morning searching for clues might have been alarming for some residents.
However, there was no cause for concern and it was not part of some elaborate college prank.
Wal-Mart, the Mueller Drive driving range and various homes throughout the village were stops on the route for the “Amazing Estonian Race.”
It was a way to celebrate a day off and relax for the students who are in Illinois as part of the Southwestern Co.
Southwestern — which has been around since 1855 — has a direct-selling program for students from more than 350 colleges and universities around the world.
Each summer, more than 3,000 students relocate to another state and become part of the community, establishing their own business of selling education materials while living with a host family.
The group of students located in Central Illinois in towns like Morton, Peoria, Bloomington and Champaign are all from Estonia.
Estonia is an Eastern European country that was once occupied by the Soviet Union.
Steve Jones of Morton has opened his home as a host family since one of the students came knocking on his door five years ago.
“She sat down on our porch for a little bit and showed us the books she was selling. We found out she was looking for a place to stay and we bonded with her,” Jones said.
Jones said the girl has since been back to Illinois to visit and has even brought her mother with her to meet him and his wife, Susie.
“That’s kind of how we got really involved with the program and these kids. We’ve been hosting ever since,” Jones said.
While most of the kids in the Southwestern program are from United States colleges, Jones said the Estonians have it harder.
“They have to pay for plane tickets and travel expenses to the U.S. The language can be a challenge, too, and I’m sure it’s harder for some of the kids to go door to door and talk to people with an accent,” Jones said.
There is usually a goal of houses each student has to visit in one day or within one week and Jones said they work hard to make sure they are well-prepared.
“They learn about the school districts, the teachers and the classrooms. They really canvass and investigate their areas before heading out,” Jones said.
With last year’s fuel prices, Jones said it was harder for some of the students who log more than 20,000 miles per month in transportation and are pounding the pavement at 6 a.m. six days per week.
Their one free day on Sunday is often used to do laundry, buy groceries or even have business meetings.
“The goal is to really build these kids up with character and commitment and give them the confidence to go out in the workforce to succeed,” Jones said.
“We have been very impressed with the kids that have come through here,” Jones added.
Jones added a girl who worked for Southwestern five years ago is now head of a human relations department and working in real estate back in Estonia.
“These kids are going back to a depressed country, and the sales and managerial skills they learn help to stimulate the economy in the long run. They can then teach others what they know,” Jones said.
Estonia was the second hardest hit European country when the worldwide economic crisis happened in 2008.
Aime Klooren is spending her third summer in Central Illinois with the program and is acting as a student manager this year.
“I don’t like to say I’m anyone’s boss because everyone is really the boss of themselves. But, I just help everyone out a little bit if they have questions. I have a little more experience and have been through it,” Klooren said.
Klooren was recruited to Southwest by a friend who is now in her sixth summer with the selling program.
“She just told me about it and showed me all of her photos and I thought it looked really good. I’ve always loved talking to people and I figured it was the best way to get to know the country and see how Americans really live without the tourist places,” Klooren said.
While Klooren is earning money for college through her summer job with Southwest, she said the experience is the main benefit.
“I want to work in international relations when I graduate college and this is really helping me with that dream. I want to travel and see people and communicate. My dream is to visit each country of the world and I’m working on it,” Klooren said with a laugh.
According to a Southwestern fact sheet, a first-year student in the program makes $2,590 per month and the profit increases with each additional summer spent selling.
As for differences between the U.S. and her home country of Estonia, Klooren said everyday life is where she sees the most contrast.
“Many Americans have houses. And, in Estonia, we are all in apartments. Everyone seems easier going here too, especially in Illinois in the smaller towns. Cars are rare in Estonia, too, because most everyone walks or uses public transportation,” Klooren said.
“Also, 80 degrees is about as hot as it gets in Europe. Here, when it gets higher than that during the summer, like the 90s, it was a little hard to get used to,” Klooren added.
Sunday is one of Klooren’s favorite days of the week now because it’s the day where she gets together with other area students and they can talk about their job or relax with activities like the “Amazing Estonian Race.”
“We talk about the week and what happened to us and what sweet or nice families we met that week. Sometimes we go on those rock climbing walls or just have lunch together,” Klooren said.
Mari-Liis Hansen is spending her first summer in Illinois with Southwest, and living with the Jones family. She said she cannot believe how much she has experienced in three months’ time.
“If I stayed in Estonia, I’d just be at a regular job, but this experience is a great way to get to know America and really to get to know myself, too,” Hansen said.
Hansen added she has met and seen more people during this summer than probably two or three years living in Estonia.
“In the beginning, I thought I would just do this one year, but now we’ll see. I’ve never worked so hard in my life. I felt lazy in Estonia,” Hansen said with a laugh.
“Regardless of what I decide and if I don’t come back, I’m really happy with the whole process and nobody can take the experience away from me,” Hansen added.
For more information on Southwestern Co., visit www.southwestern.com.
