New year, new foreign exchange students! Dive into the minds of our new foreign exchange students this year. Lewis Cass had students from Spain, Germany, Latvia, and the Czech Republic. There are eight exchange students in total who are excited to experience our American culture.
Four of the eight students are from Spain, including: Diego Nebrera Llisastigui, Marina Melian Cabrera, Carla Riego Rossello, and Paula Pons Barca. (first name, and 2 last names for those who did not know) Diego is 15 years old and hopes to improve his English while he is here, and is also looking forward to experiencing football games. Marina is 16 and comes from a family of exchange students, so she followed their footsteps. On top of learning more English, Marina wants to watch high school games and try the many American fast foods, such as Canes, Five Guys, and Chipotle. When asked how different schools in Spain are from schools in America, Marina and Carla, a 14-year-old (!) exchange student, answered that school was very different. Instead of students moving from classroom to classroom, teachers move while students remain in the same room. Also, students in Spain do not attend every class every day like American students do. Spanish students have different classes on different days. For example, on Monday, they may have English and math, while on Tuesday, they have social studies and science. Their schedules mirror our college schedules more than our high school schedules. Carla also thinks that schoolwork here is easier than the work in Spain. When asked what it is like being an exchange student at such a young age (14), Carla responded that it was scary at first, but she got along with people fast. Paula is 15 years old and has joined the cross-country team. She misses her friends and family back home, but is looking forward to her life here in America.
Two of the eight students are from Germany. Their names are Hugo Haas and Emil Pusback. When asked what the biggest culture shock was since coming here, Hugo, a 16-year-old exchange student, responded by eating fast food every day. Emil is 16 years old and was asked what dish from his country he would want everyone in America to try. He answered that he would like people to try sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is a healthy side dish that is sour and made up of cabbage.
This year, there is one foreign exchange student from Latvia. Latvia is a country on the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Estonia (in Europe). The exchange student’s name is Roberts Tale, and he is 16 years old. His first impressions of America were that everything was big: the cars, buildings, and food. Although he does not like some of the food here because it is processed and unhealthy. When asked what he would like to do or try before he leaves, Roberts replied by going to prom with a date. He is also excited for football games and plans to play basketball this winter.
Last but not least, there is one more foreign exchange student from the Czech Republic. Her name is Karolina Rerichova, and she is 16 years old. Since coming to America, Karolina has noticed we do not have a lot of public transportation, such as trains, buses, and taxis. When asked how she typically spends her weekends or free time in her country, Karolina responded by working at Kentucky Fried Chicken, studying, and hip hop dancing.
Overall, there are many interesting facts about these exchange students, with so much more to learn. They are all very excited to experience the American culture and hope to share their culture as well. Please, give them all a warm welcome as they begin to settle in as students of Lewis Cass High School. It’s great to be a King!