By SHEA STASKOWSKI
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Exchange programs have long be apart of Starkville High School.
This year, the school welcomed five new exchange students and one exchange teacher to make for a school year full of learning for not only the newcomers, but also the students, faculty and staff of the Starkville School District.
“Exchange students offer us the opportunity for a mutual learning experience. While they assimilate into our culture, we learn about theirs as well,” Supt. Judy Couey said.
“I have already had an appeal to lengthen the time between classes to allow more time to visit from two of the exchange students! I think it reminds us that all students have much more in common than they have differences.”
“We get to share our district with outstanding young people that will make a difference in our world some day. Exchange students not only add to the academic experience; they broaden the scope of our Starkville School District family,” she added.
Edgar Peña, from Mexico City, was also the recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship — the same scholarship that has allowed SHS Spanish teacher Nicole Jefferson to teach in Mexico for a full school year.
Peña and Jefferson have made a direct exchange, meaning she will be teaching his classes in Mexico City and he has taken over her Spanish classes here at SHS.
In Mexico, Peña is responsible for teaching English as a second language to native Spanish-speaking students. But he will reverse this role at SHS and will be teaching Spanish to native English-speaking student.
“Learning a foreign language is just as difficult for both sets of students,” Peña explained. “We learn in the same way. We are all humans, so we have that in common,” Peña added of the surprisingly similarities between students of different cultures.
However, Peña has noticed one crucial difference thus far. The resources available to students in the United States are greater than those of the students he teaches in Mexico.
In America, the majority of students have constant access to computers and Internet, but Peña said that isn’t the case in Mexico, and without proper resources, students can be at a disadvantage.
Peña has come to America armed with three goals he hopes to accomplish before his year is through.
“I’m coming here because I want to share my language. I want to share my culture, and I want them to share their culture with me,” he said of his goals. “I am really curious about American culture and I’m always asking myself why Americans are the way they are.”
“The things I learn here, I can take back to my students,” Peña said. “It is important to me to get a better understanding of our two nations. I will be here [for a year] to see all the traditions — things they can’t learn in books — and I will take that back and be a better teacher.” Name: Chotrakarn “Ong” Wattanasirikui
Home country: Thailand
Grade at SHS: Sophomore
Reason for joining exchange program: Ong said he joined because his mother is a teacher and she wanted him to learn about a new culture.
Favorite thing he’s done in the U.S. thus far: Ong said his favorite thing he has done is studying.
Speaking English: Five years
Hardest transition: Having conversations in English. Favorite class at SHS: Geometry with Kim Killen.
Hardest class at SHS: “English,” Ong said with a grin.
One Place he would like to visit in the U.S.: Ong names Disney World as his dream destination in America.
Biggest difference between Thailand and U.S.: Ong says that student’s responsibility in school is different from back home. “Here if you are late, you are tardy, but in Thailand it’s not that big of a deal,” he explained.
Thing he misses the most from home: “The food,” Ong said. He also went on to explain that Thailand food is far more spicy, but he enjoys the cafeteria pizza. Name: Adriana Nunes
Home country: Brazil
Grade at SHS: Senior
Reason for joining exchange program: “My father saw an advertisement for the exchange and he encouraged me,” Adriana said.
Favorite thing she has done in the U.S. thus far: Adriana said going to church and making friends at youth group has been her favorite activity. Speaking English: Since she was 10 years old.
Hardest transition: In Brazil, Adriana attends school until 1 p.m., but she also goes to school six days a week, so she said she is exhausted by the end of the school day.
Thing she misses the most from home: “Everything,” Adriana said. She left behind two younger sisters that look up to her. She also misses the food from Brazil. However, she has discovered peanut butter in America and names that as her new favorite food.
Favorite class at SHS: English and chemistry
Hardest class at SHS: Physics
Surprising fact: Adriana said it’s hotter here than back home. Name: Kasper Eriksen
Home country: Denmark
Grade at SHS: Sophomore
Reason for joining exchange program: Kasper said he has always been interested in visiting the U.S. so he applied through Denmark’s Rotary Club and was accepted.
Place he would like to visit in the U.S.: Kasper’s host family is planning a trip to New York for Thanksgiving and Kasper is thrilled to be able to be apart of their holiday vacation, he said. What he hopes to gain from the experience: In Denmark, Kasper made friends with an American exchange student and she offered him this advice, “Enjoy your friends, fun, future and family,” and that’s just what Kasper plans to do, he said.
Hardest transition: Kasper said that school is America is more demanding than his school in Denmark and it takes up more of his free time than he would prefer.
Biggest difference between here and home: “The temperature and humidity is about half in Denmark,” he said.
Favorite class at SHS: Kasper said he enjoys U.S. history and photography with Mr. Lark. Name: Francesca Scaravelli
Home country: Italy
Grade at SHS: Senior
Reason for joining exchange program: “Because they speak English, and it’s a very important country, and it’s different from Europe and I wanted to learn about the culture,” Francesca said.
Biggest transition: Francesca said the entire school experience has stressed her out. In Italy, students stay in the classroom and teachers change rooms. Like so many of the exchange students, Francesca’s old school only went until 1 p.m., so on top of the extra two hours of school, she has to concentrate that much harder to pay attention, she added.
Hardest change: Francesca is a very conscientious student and she often feels unsure of her work and said she just wishes to feel prepared for class.
Speaking English: Since she was 10 years old.
Favorite class at SHS: Art and chemistry
Hardest class at SHS: History
Thing she misses the most from home: “The food,” she said. “Everything is full of sauce,” she added. In true Italian fashion, Francesca prefers to eat pasta with very little sauce.
Name: Jan-Bernd Specker
Home country: Germany
Grade at SHS: Junior
Reason for joining exchange program: Jan’s sister did the exchange program and he saw the enjoyment she got out of it and said he has been interested ever since.
Hardest transition: Jan’s old school also had teachers changing classrooms while the students stay in the same class all day. He also said that the majority of his assignments thus far have been graded, which is different from his old school.
Speaking English: Four years
Biggest difference between here and home: “We don’t fry our pickles,” Jan joked about the new food that has quickly become his favorite. “They don’t drink mineral water here,” he added. Lastly, Jan said everything here is so much larger than back home. “Even the tiniest shop has a huge parking arena and every little street has eight lines.”
Thing he misses the most: “My family,” he said.
Favorite class at SHS: Drama
Hardest class at SHS: AP physics.
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