Spanish exchange student Cristina Velasco is slowly adjusting to the average American high school life.
Originally, the idea of becoming an exchange student wasn’t her own as it was suggested by her father. Cristina’s dad wanted her to learn English and become immersed in other cultures. Although she never anticipated pausing her regular life to be a foreign exchange student in America, Cristina is enjoying every second.
“At first, actually, it was my dad who wanted my brother and I to learn English, experience life without [my parents], and become more mature,” Cristina said. “But I came here also because I used to watch all these high school movies, and then, I wanted to experience it. I think it is really nice to go abroad when you’re young to know what you want for your—if you want to stay in your country or leave.”
Being a foreign exchange student can be a bit of a challenge for most students. Leaving everything you know to start a new life for a year can be difficult as a high school student. Cristina has made many friends and has bonded with her host family, but there are still things that she misses.
“The biggest challenge that you have to conquer [as an exchange student] is that you don’t know anyone,” Cristina said. “In my city, people are very nice, but maybe if you come here, and you’re used to nice people then people may not be as nice. I kind of miss home, but not really at all. I mean I miss my mom, my dad, my friends; I miss my routine and my food.”
Cristina misses many things about home but loves encountering new things in America. Something in particular that contrasts with Spain is the food. In America, Cristina has observed that the food tends to be more unhealthy with larger portions; nevertheless, she finds it just as tasty.
Other than the food, one thing that Cristina has noticed that is most different about America compared to Spain is the activities and when they take place.
“In Spain, we do things a lot later,” Cristina said. “I mean your schedule is like maybe you would wake up at like 8 a.m. and you’d have lunch at like 3 p.m. or 2 p.m. Then, you’d have dinner at 9 p.m. and you’d go to bed at like 11 p.m. or midnight. School is totally different, and even the activities you do with your friends; in Spain, you party a lot at clubs, even if you are 11 years old.”
Throughout her time here, Cristina has adapted to the lifestyle and found what she appreciates most about high school in America: the sports. At home in Spain, there are no school sports. Cristina would often have to find a club outside of her school to be able to play a sport of her choosing. Luckily for Cristina, who enjoys playing tennis, FHC has a variety of athletic opportunities that will also allow her to further bond with her classmates.
“In Spain, we don’t have school sports, so after school, we go to sports clubs that they have, and you need to pay to be a member, so I play tennis in one of the clubs,” Cristina said. “I do it more for fun, but I also like to do it for the tournaments and stuff. I plan to do the tennis team here for the school.”
Whether it is football games, school dances, or even just hanging out with friends, Cristina intends to be involved. She plans to get the greatest American high school experience she can before she returns to Spain. Cristina tries her best to attend most school gatherings to get the most out of her time here in Michigan. Still, there are many things Cristina has yet to try.
“I really enjoyed going to football games here, and I know they’re finished now, but I am really looking forward to going to more games like hockey games,” Cristina said. “I play tennis in Spain, but I want to play it here and then maybe also play lacrosse. I want to maybe go to the Great Lakes and do a road trip. That would be really fun.”
Cristina hopes to take advantage of her time in America as a foreign exchange student by attending as many school functions as possible. She plans to partake in various new experiences to make her exchange year the best it can be.
“It’s really nice to be in another country and to experience new things in another country, but sometimes, it’s hard too,” Cristina said. “I really like [being an exchange student] because I’ve made lots of friends and it’s just a new experience for me. Being an exchange student, you can experience a new life because maybe you need a break from your normal life, and you learn a lot of stuff and a new language as well.”
