The Heritage High School exchange program has welcomed five new students this year. Three German students, one Spanish student, and one Thai student have joined us this school year. This mix of students has brought new perspectives to this school, as well as learning new ones from here.
Many of the students spoke about the differences between their home countries and here. “I would definitely say when I came here my first impression was that everybody is so friendly,” said junior Paulina Pinkert from Germany. “Everybody asked me how my day was [and] how I am. I would say it’s different from Germany. A lot of people are really interested in my life…and that’s something I enjoy,” stated Pinkert. Another student, junior Ana Garcia from Spain said, “It’s just like a whole different culture; the food, the school, the people, sports, and everything.”
They all have different thoughts on what they like about here, yet they all seem to love it. One student, junior Anna Cantz, also from Germany, told us about hers; “I really like that you have classes such as broadcast or journalism and other classes like that, so you actually learn something about what you want to do.” Junior Magdalena Schmidt from Germany said, “I think Americans are really nice to each other, because you get so many compliments just in the hallway. Germans never do that.”
These new students have brought many new things from their home country that they hope people will continue to carry on. They also wish to continue certain ideas they have noticed here. Cantz said, “I told my family that we’re gonna do stockings next year, so I’m gonna take my stocking home, and we’re gonna buy some for my family so we get more presents.” Garcia stated, “I like coming to school with comfy clothes because in Spain they go with jeans or with outfits. And here you can just wear sweatpants or leggings, and you’re okay.”
These students coming from other countries all had differing reasons for wanting to come to this country. “I really wanted to learn English,” said Garcia, “I wanted to learn a new culture, meet new people, and make new friends.” Another student, Pinkert, said, “When I thought it was a high school exchange, you have to imagine, in Germany, w hen you hear about US high school, it’s like a big thing. You know, the football games, the bus rides, the lockers, like all the little stuff. I just wanted to experience that first person and be a part of this cultural experience, and just live for life.”
Having lived in a foreign world from theirs for months on end, these students have had some time to get acclimated in different ways. One student, Sintra Thamaratanasiri, a junior from Thailand said, “Oh, it’s my host family, because they helped me a lot with settling in, and also friends and teachers.” Pinkert stated, “It took me a few weeks. Especially in the beginning I thought, oh my gosh, I will never make it. I never want to live here forever, but right now I do, I would love to stay here. I like the people I know. I would say I got used to it, yes, but it took me a while.”
While living in a different country for sometime, some of these students have thoughts on traveling in the future. Thamaratanasiri said, “It’s affected me in a good way. I want to travel more, my family already travels a lot, and now I want to join them more often.” However, the Germans had different ideas; “I’ve never been far away from home alone, I’ve never traveled like that. I guess it made me a little bit more independent,” said Cantz, “I think I’ll be able to travel more alone without being scared of something or whatever. So, I guess it kind of influenced that.”
At the end of the school year these amazing ladies will return back to their home countries. While they might be leaving, the memories and traditions that they have shared with all of us will stay in everyone’s hearts. Every piece of their country they have shared has been mixed with all the beautiful things we have taught them about us. As we look at this past year we must notice how these foreign exchange students have changed our lives, and how we have affected theirs. As we move on, we must continue to carry the love, and determination they brought here with us.
