Name: Tessa Kallmann
Grade: 11th
Country: Berlin, Germany

Tessa, also known as Tess, had always wanted to visit the United States, and is happy to live away from home and be independent. “We hear and see a lot about the typical American high school experience in movies and shows, so I wanted to see what it is like,” she said.

Q: Tell me a bit about yourself.
A: I am 16, and I love traveling, and trying new things! I like mostly pop music, I listen to a lot of English and some French and German music. Now I am playing basketball. I like playing sports a lot here, because they are taken really seriously and everyone pushes themselves and others hard, which can be a lot but also very motivating. My favorite sport is soccer, but it is a lot more popular in other countries.
Q: What is your favorite class?
A: Psychology [with Mike Jones] because we don’t have that class in school [in Germany] and it is very interesting!
Q: How is U.S. schooling different from school in Germany?
A: [In Germany] our grades don’t really count until 11th or 12th grade. We have basically two different types of high schools: One for people who want to go to college after, and one for people who want to start working after graduation. We also get to stop going to school after 10th grade if we want to. I think the big difference is also that we learn a second language starting from third grade.
Q: How have you been enjoying living in the United States?
A: I love it! I love how teachers have a way better relationship with their students [than those in Germany], and actually try to get to know them and help them to improve.
Q: What is your favorite American tradition?
A: The Christmas stockings. It’s so random! Like, why are they giant socks? Those are the best traditions.
Q: What is your favorite American food?
A: Pumpkin pie. We don’t have anything like it at home. I would never get the idea to put pumpkin in pie, but it tasted really good!
Q: What is your least favorite thing about America?
A: I don’t like how people are always fighting about politics.
Q: What are your plans for after high school?
A: I want to go to college. I want to become a pediatrician.
Q: How long are you staying in the United States?
A: I am staying until June.

Name: Cecilia Franco Verhine
Grade: 11th
Country: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Cecilia, also known as Ceci, came to the United States because she has family from the American west coast. She also wants to represent her country here. “To be a foreign exchange student for Brazil means a lot; not a lot of people can do it… It will help me learn a new language and give me more job opportunities, “ she said.

Q: Tell me a bit about yourself.
A: I like listening to music, and I play a little bit of guitar. I want to play tennis in the spring.
Q: What is your favorite class?
A: Psychology with [Mike] Jones is my favorite!
Q: How is U.S. schooling different from Brazil’s?
A: The classes are very different. In Brazil, I have 16 classes. I have eight classes a day but I only have a little homework. I also don’t get to choose courses. We are in the same classroom always, and the teachers are the ones who switch classes. My classes also start at 7 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m.
Q: What was your biggest culture shock coming from Salvador to the United States?
A: [Less] physical contact. In Brazil, people hug a lot and you don’t do that here! Also, lunch is different. [In Brazil] we have a big lunch and a sandwich or something for dinner— here it is the opposite.
Q: How have you been enjoying living in the U.S?
A: I like it here! I like how people my age can drive. I like the way that classes are different, and I like the options of classes. I like that everyone here is nice to me!
Q: What is your favorite American tradition?
A: I like Thanksgiving. And for Christmas, we did the advent calendar. I liked that!
Q: What is your favorite American food?
A: I like Taco Bell and elk steak. We don’t have that in Brazil.
Q: What is your least favorite thing about the U.S.?
A: I don’t like that there is a 5-hour difference between my family and me. Sometimes it is hard to communicate with them.
Q: What are your plans for after high school?
A: I have some options for college. I want to go to college in Brazil and then come back [to the U.S.] to get another degree. I want to get a degree in marketing.
Q: How long are you staying in the United States?
A: I came in August and I am leaving in June.
Q: What is the hardest word to pronounce in English?
A: “Excuse me” is hard for me to pronounce. Or “entertains” … I think that is the hardest for me to say.
Name: Lennard Niese
Grade: 10th
Country: Berlin, Germany

Lennard, also known as Leo, came to the United States to experience American culture. “I went to France for three months, and I went to Spain for two months. … I like going somewhere new, and experiencing it… The east coast was too close to home, so I went west,” he said.

Q: Tell me a bit about yourself.
A: I play [American] football … Back in Germany, I played guitar, but I am not playing it right now.
Q: What is your favorite class?
A: I really enjoy MAP [fitness] with [Mike] Jones.
Q: How is U.S. schooling different from school in Germany?
A: The biggest difference is that [in the U.S.] you can choose your classes, and in Germany, I can only choose two, and I have 12 or 13 subjects that I have to do.
Q: What was your biggest culture shock coming from Berlin to the United States?
A: I don’t know if this counts … I was disappointed by the hot dogs! Here you only add sausage and ketchup but in Europe, we add sausage, ketchup, fried onions, dill pickles— whatever you want you can add it in!
Q: How have you been enjoying living in the U.S?
A: Oh, it’s been so much fun! I like to enjoy different things than I do at home and it’s been so different.
Q: What is your favorite American tradition?
A: I like Thanksgiving, even though I didn’t have a traditional turkey meal because we went to Disney World … I feel like it’s a nice tradition and we don’t have it in Germany.
Q: What is your favorite American food?
A: I like deer steak. We don’t have that in Germany; it’s pretty good.
Q: What is your least favorite thing about America?
A: That’s a hard one honestly. Nothing, really. I don’t know!
Q: What are your plans for after high school?
A: I want to go study back in Germany, but I don’t know what I want to do, to be honest. I do know … I want to do engineering or tech stuff.
Q: How long are you staying in the United States?
A: The whole school year, likely around 10 months. … I think I will stay a week or two longer after school ends.
Q: What is the hardest word to pronounce in English?
A: There are a couple of words I struggle with but I feel like the hardest one is “squirrel.”