Every year, transfer students from all over the world come to study at Leesville Road High School.
They leave their country, their families and their friends to get to live this adventure. They stay with families who choose them specifically according to their personality and interests, and share with them this experience.
Why do they come? Well, it depends on each person, but they all have one reason in common: the language. English is the most spoken language in the world, and to know it supposes a big advantage for finding a job. Also, a lot of exchange students want to come one year to grow as persons and mature, and to live the American experience.
Every year the number of exchange students coming to the USA increases more, and if ten years ago you barely could find one transfer student in a high school, now you can find more than three easily.
This year Leesville Road is hosting four transfer students: three girls from Germany and one from Spain. All of them are coursing junior year.
Steffi Metzger is one of them. She is a junior exchange student from Stuttgart, Germany. She said, “I want to be an international student to improve my English and meet new people. It’s also a great opportunity to discover a different culture. Do an exchange year, get to know American traditions and be part of this country has always been my dream, and now it has come true.”
But one thing all exchange students agree about are that schools are very, very different.
Kristina Segrina, also German and junior, tells us her opinion: “People here are more open and friendly, and I have a lot more of activity choices. One of the things I like the most here is that the school has many enthusiastic sport fans. I have a lot of homework compared to Germany, and sometimes I feel homesick, but I like it here.”
But one thing is for sure: They will learn a lot of things which is going to change their perspective towards life.
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