After more than five decades of student foreign exchange, LHS has become a place where students from all over the world can connect.
This year, nine foreign exchange students have joined the halls of LHS. Alesandra Cignoni, Chanikan Puntaranontoka, Dinh Diep, Julian Lanz, Kornkamon Triongthawone, Pui-Suen Ho, Sitong Guo, Tu Do and Yiran Hou have come from a multitude of places, all united in the melting pot of LHS.
Cignoni became an exchange student from Spain in hopes of furthering her English skills, and someday wishes to be fluent in the language. She also wanted to leave Spain to experience a new kind of life, she said, and she has done just that.
One of the biggest differences she has noticed between Lewiston and her hometown of Madrid, Spain, is that, “I have rules here, and in Spain I could do whatever I wanted,” she said.
Luckily the adjustment has been easy for her, and she said she has made a lot of good friends, especially in her cross country teammates.
“I’m very comfortable with all of my teammates and my coach,” she said.
Puntaranontoka and Triongthawone are both from Bangkok, Thailand. Puntaranontoka, known as Koni in Lewiston, loves Mexican food, especially nachos with chicken. She also loves to dance in her spare time. Triongthawone goes by Be-est, and loves dogs, with two of them back home.
Diep came from Vietnam, and said she feels excited to make new American friends.
“The students and teachers here are very nice and reliable,” Diep said, adding that she has made a few good friends already.
Diep participates in art club, and particularly enjoys drawing. When asked about the most unique food that she has tried in the United States, she replied simply with, “French toast.”
Lanz comes from Germany, and thought that coming here would be a good opportunity to learn English and to gain valuable experience.
Art club has offered an important outlet to him, and he especially enjoys painting graffiti art. When he lived in Germany, Lanz sold his works and made good money doing it.
There are many differences between the United States and Germany, he said. One of those differences being the government. When asked if he has been following the presidential race going on here in the U.S. he said, “It makes me ashamed of being a human. I don’t like either of them.”
Food is another big change for him. He, unlike Diep, was very adamant about the food here in America.
“The hype about gravy, I don’t really understand it,” he said. “To me it’s just another sauce, but people here seem to put it on everything.”
Ho traveled here from Taiwan, and goes by Angel. She said she loves movies, especially comedy. Camping has been one of her favorite hobbies, and she participated in a form of scouting in Taiwan. She is also member of the photography club at LHS.
Coming from China are Guo and Hou. Guo loves music, the internet, and cooking. One of her favorite things to do is play badminton and be active, she said. Hou has many interests, but he especially likes photography.
Do came from Vietnam, in hopes of making new friends. She feels that she fits right in here, with her bubbly “people person” personality. She feels that her English is better than her Vietnamese, due to the fact that she went to an international school for eight years. She plans to attend a private school in the Northwestern U.S. next year.
Do said she felt surprised to find out that American schools were not how movies and books portray them to be. She has found that there aren’t the typical bullies or “cliques” that the media implies.
Aside from making friends, Do is all about sports, especially volleyball and soccer.
“I was late for volleyball tryouts,” she said. “I don’t really know what else to do, but I’m open to trying out for other sports.”
According to Neil Williams, LHS is lucky to have the opportunity to host such bright students from all over the world. These kids are sure to leave their mark on the students and staff of LHS long after they return home.