Four foreigner make Maple Lake Home

Maple Lake High School has gotten four foreign exchange students. Their names are Andreas Christensen, Matteo Mangili, Ivan Laiz and Cecilia Ortiz. They all have been really excited to start a new school life this year and discover many new things.

The foreign exchange students have all enjoyed many things in America so far. Some of their favorite activities and things they have experienced are: the Minnesota State Fair, highschool sports, and the feeling of being somewhere new. Junior Ivan Laiz said,  “The moment I got here everything was so different and felt very new and special.”

 While being in America so far the hardest thing has been feeling homesick. Each of the students explained how hard it is to be away from home and that they miss their family, friends and activities. Senior Matteo Mangili said, “I miss my family and playing soccer a lot.” 

Although they miss home, they have tried many new things while being here including cheese curds, sporting events, fast food places and the quarries. “I love going to volleyball games because they are so much fun to cheer at and I also went to the quarries and jumped off a big cliff,” said senior Andreas Christensen. 

All of the foreign exchange students will leave around the end of the school year, but all of them plan to return to America for a trip or to live here. “I am going to move back to America but I love California so I am choosing to live there,” said senior Matteo Mangili. 

School life is another big change for these students. The difference between school in America and school back at their homes are very big. “In Spain, the students stay in one classroom and the teachers switch rooms for every class,” said sophomore Cecilia Ortiz. Lockers are not used in their countries and school schedules are different each day.

These four students have taken a big step to experience new things this year. Times may be hard when it comes to missing the things they love at home, but they are going to overcome that and make their time and memories here something they will hold on to and cherish for years to come.