Tupelo High School has three new exchange students from Europe. Leonie Bolsinger from Germany, Gaia Cimarello from Italy, and Alicia Kernen from Switzerland.
Coming from the other side of the world, these students are interacting with new cultures, languages, and traditions, while building bridges between their home country and the community of Tupelo.
As exchange students, they were given the opportunity to choose where they wanted to continue their studies. While a small town like Tupelo may not have been their first option, the US was.
Bolsinger’s heightened curiosity is a common characteristic of exchange students preparing to explore new places.
“I just wanted to see, like this huge country everyone talks about,” Bolsinger said.
Dreams also play a big role in motivating exchange students, like Kerner, who has always dreamed of going to school in the United States.
“You know, everyone dreams of going to school in America,” Kernen said.
Wanting to explore more about the country’s culture is also an important part of any on-board experience, and Cimarello joined volleyball and has been enjoying this process of getting used to the US lifestyle.
“I like the USA mentality, I like the places, I like the language,” Cimarello said.
Another big part of being an exchange student and getting used to the life here is noticing the differences, some big and some small.
Studying in another country is a whole new world. For Cimarello, sports play an important role in her life, and luckily, Tupelo High offers plenty of options to choose from, and she chose volleyball
“I think it’s a big difference because with sports you can meet new people and I don’t know, enjoy more school,” Cimarello said.
Kerner is enchanted by the warmth of the people here. Adapting to a new social environment can be challenging, but the friendships she has made have helped her feel welcome.
“The people here, they are like really open. I mean, they come to you and they’re really nice,” Kerner said.
For Bolsinger, it was a huge difference on how the size and the portions of everything is big, she feels like everything is bigger, from the buildings to the parking lots.
“In the USA, everything is huge,” Bolsinger said.
Even though each girl noticed something unique about the United States compared to their home country, they all agree that their experiences here will leave them with unforgettable memories.
