A drive to the airport, a long plane ride, then straight to the beach!
Foreign exchange students travel across the globe, searching for a new way of education and some humid, beachy weather. Florida is a top pick because of the desirable climate and location. Juniors Maja Rothe and Frantisek Lanc are two of the three foreign exchange students that are enrolled this year.
Finding a family
Foreign exchange programs allow students to travel to a new country, live with a host family and indulge themselves into a new culture and experiences. Embracing a new family may be difficult, but they are interviewed and scanned to ensure they are a trustworthy and right fit for whoever decides to join them.
“I have three host siblings,” Rothe said.“The oldest is 20, my host brother [is] 15, and my youngest host sister is 13—she’s in middle school.”
Rothe came from Germany and lives with Victoria Babbington —an ELA teacher at Hagerty—and her family. She enjoys their welcoming arms and hospitality. She often goes shopping and hangs out with her oldest host sibling.
“It’s amazing, it really is,” Rothe said. “I just got really lucky too: they made me feel so comfortable from the start.”
To receive an exchange student, host families must go to sessions, interviews and meetings to see if they are suitable to take in one in. The Educational and Cultural Affairs and Southern Cross Cultural Affairs are both organizations that families can apply to to become host families. Background checks are a common part of the process to ensure they are a trustworthy and reliable family.
“Once we were approved, we were able to look through a list of interested exchange students to see which one might match our family’s personality and energy level, and we found Maja.” Babbington said. “We’re so glad we did—she’s the perfect match for our family.”
Leaving Home
From new schedules and classes to not seeing their parents every day, moving to a new country can be stressful. Living thousands of miles away for over a year can be tough, but it also brings in new experiences by being immersed in a new culture.
“The biggest culture shock has to be fast food. There is just so much of it,” Lanc said.
Lanc is from the Czech Republic and came to Florida to better understand English and bask in the nice, sunny weather. The Czech Republic does have major food chains such as KFC, McDonalds, and Burger King; however, compared to Florida, Czech is not filled up and down the streets with fast food, but with bakeries and street food.
Lanc’s favorite fast food restaurant is Chick-fil-A because of he enjoys the variety of options on the menu, and there are not any of them in the Czech Republic, so he is happy to see his favorite restaurant all around Oviedo.
What also differs in Florida schools are the options in career paths.
“We don’t have electives,” Rothe said. “No ceramics, tennis, volleyball, piano, nothing like that. We just have classes to take from fifth to 10th grade and then select some in 11th grade.”
Unlike Rothe’s school in Germany, Hagerty offers a wide range of classes in fine arts, performing arts, AP classes, PE, and academic electives. Her school is small, formal and focuses on main core classes students need in order to graduate.
Similarly, Lanc’s high school in the Czech Republic has around 300 students with a much smaller campus. He enjoys the kind teachers and the palm trees around the courtyard.
Foreign exchange offers amazing opportunities to not only explore the world, but live and experience it through living in different cultures. While still getting an education, students can expand their career and lifestyle options.
“I absolutely love foreign exchange and if you have the financial resources and the opportunity, you should do it. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that is so worth it,” said Rothe.
