Then 18 years old, Gyurkovits said she learned that she would be coming to Hagerstown, a place she had never heard of before.
Her host parents in Hagerstown were Bill and Jan Dorsey, who lived in the Greenberry Hills area.
The Dorseys had three children: Sandra, who was in college and now lives in Michigan; Julie, who was nearest to Marcia's age; and Ed, who was 12.
One morning in the winter, Gyurkovits said she remembers being awakened by Ed Dorsey to see her first snowfall.
"We went outside in our pajamas and made snow angels ... ," she said.
Although she has been back to the United States several times, this was her first trip back to Hagerstown. She stayed with the Dorseys, who no longer live in Greenberry Hills.
During her weeklong stay, Gyurkovits was able to reacquaint herself with two of the Dorsey children, as well as her host parents - whom she still calls "Mom" and "Dad".
"I remember the first week she was living with us and we had a big rainstorm," Jan Dorsey said. "I remember handing Marcia a bucket and showing her how I wanted her to bail water, and she caught on."
The first AFS exchange student at South High, Gyurkovits was the first student the Dorseys hosted.
After graduation in 1975, Gyurkovits went home, where she earned degrees in business administration and law. She practices civil law in Sao Paulo, which has 16 million residents.
There are many things Gyurkovits said she will never forget, especially the hospitality and love she felt during her year here.
"I always call 'Mom' Dorsey on the telephone every Mother's Day," Gyurkovits said.
And she'll always remember an expression she learned from her Hagerstown mom: "Everyone smiles in the same language."
