From across the Atlantic, senior Beatrice Pierano of Italy, junior Luisa Klusmann of Germany, and sophomore Ainara Echavarri of Spain came to Fenton as foreign exchange students for this school year.
An exchange year in the United States is something Pierano has been looking forward to since elementary school.
“Since I was six, I’ve always loved America and I wanted to experience the American high school stuff. It’s just a little dream I have had since I was a kid,” Pierano said.
Before being able to come to the United States, Echavarri, who is originally from Seville, said she had to go through an extensive application process.
“[The process] is so long. You need to have new [immunizations]. A lot of papers from the doctors, from the high school, all sorts of things,” Echavarri said.
Preparing for a year abroad, though, doesn’t stop at the application. Before coming to the United States, Klussman said Experiment, the program that organized her exchange program, had activities to prepare students.
“I have an organization and we had a workshop, so we [spent] a whole weekend preparing for the exchange year,” Klussman said.
As the beginning of her exchange year came closer, Pierano said she was eager to finally start her experience, even though leaving home was bittersweet.
“I was really, really excited. It was kind of sad because I had just said goodbye to my parents and everything, but I had waited for this moment for too long. I found out I [was coming] here in January, so I waited all these months, and I was super excited,” Pierano said.
One of the biggest adjustments for Klussman has been the school structure, which she says is very different from schools in her home state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
“Everything is so different– the teachers, the schedules, the lessons. We have always the same class and the same people in the class. The teachers move, and not the students, and we don’t have A, B, and C days,” Klussman said.
Inside the school community, the students have been able to get involved with different extracurriculars, such as sports. While Klussman runs cross country, Echvarri is a part of the softball team which she says she was encouraged to join.
“I’m in softball and I love it. The girls are so nice. They say that I need to try some sports, so I tried to enter now I’m with the team,” Echvarri said.
When it comes to the community as a whole, Pierano said she found that Fenton was very different from Viola, her hometown in the northwestern Piedmont region of Italy, when she researched it before arriving.
“Before I found out, I tried not to have expectations to not ruin them. But when I saw that my host family file came to me with all the information, I was really excited. I searched on Google and [the photos] were really, really nice. It seemed like a very good city. I live in a very small village with 300 inhabitants, so it’s like a whole new world for me,” Pierano said.
Navigating life in a new country can have its difficulties, and Klussman said that one of the hardest aspects is the lack of communication with her loved ones at home.
“It’s very hard to have contact with my family in Germany because of the time difference, especially with another family in the house with me,” Klussman said.
Echvarri said other aspects of American culture have been an adjustment, such as the diet and neighborhoods.
“The food is so different, like the type of food, and I think the form of the houses and the streets are all different,” Echvarri said.
Some of the main cultural differences between Europe and America, such as football and school dances, are what Pierano said she is looking forward to the most.
“I just cannot wait for my first football game. I think my American experience can start from that. I’m excited also for senior stuff and all the dances that we do at school, like homecoming and prom. I’m super excited,” Pierano said.
