By MARCELA BOTA, guest columnist
Exchange students: I’m sure you’ve heard of them at least once in your life. But who are the people who travel hundreds of miles away from home to a place they’ve never been before, and what do they do there?
Exchange students come to America from all around the world to share their culture and to learn about American traditions. They live with a host family (who, at the end of their stay become more like a second family) and go to a high school for a semester or a year.
My name is Marcela Bota, or Ela for short, and I came to the U.S. in August 2017 from Romania, a beautiful country in eastern Europe. I came as part of the FLEX program, so I had to work hard to even be able to come here.
I admit, at first I was a little bit skeptical about going to a place I’ve never been before and be surrounded with people I’ve never met. But that’s also what made me come here; the sense of adventure, of liberty, as well as my curious nature and my will to learn more about different cultures are the things that urged me to do this.
Two weeks before I was supposed to hop on a plane to America, I finally received information about my host family and host community. I was beyond excited when I set my feet on American ground after many long and exhausting hours spent in airports and on planes.
I arrived one Thursday afternoon, and the next day, I had to go to school. After just a couple of minutes I could easily say that I’ve never been so lost in my life. Everything was new to me: the people, the classrooms, the way of teaching, absolutely everything. Fortunately, I quickly found kind people that would help me find my way around and soon they became my friends.
Since then, I’ve come a long way. I learned everything I was supposed to do and now it comes to me as easy as if I were in Romania.
In the fall I started playing soccer (despite never playing it before in my life). I wasn’t that good at it, but I most definitely had fun. I met new people and I felt part of a team, which was really important to me at the beginning of my “American journey.” Later, in the winter, I began volunteering in different places and at different events, like the Brown County Humane Society or the Hilly Half Marathon. In the spring, I started working on my tennis skills so that I could be part of the team.
Everything I did here wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my natural parents in Romania and my host parents in America. They have been so enthusiastic about everything I’ve been doing and have shared their love and joy with me.
Being an exchange student has been, and still is, one of the most beautiful, frightening, exciting, nerve-wrecking, eye-opening experiences I’ve had in my life. It has taught me so much and I certainly won’t ever forget this year.
Lastly, I would like to extend a proposal to you. Why don’t you consider hosting an exchange student and getting to explore the world without having to leave your home? Why not give and receive precious life lessons, so that the world could be a better place?
This experience not only promotes cultural understanding, but it also cultivates lifelong friendships and leaves thousands of memories for you to share.
Marcela Bota attended Brown County High School this year, living with John and Pamela Drebus of Brown County. Read more about her American experience and that of other local foreign exchange students on page B1 of today’s paper.
