Imagine, packing your bags for a completely foreign country to leave home for a year. Well there are students in our school where this is their very own reality. Each year, Gallatin High School has the honor of hosting students from a variety of countries. You may not even know it but right now there might be an exchange student in your very own class. These students fit in so well sometimes it’s hard to even tell they came from a different country in the first place, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t experienced a whole different way of living. From day-to-day to even the bare necessities such as meals. These students are engulfed in changes from their exchange experiences. 

Student Hannah Bley from Hamburg, Germany said that the main differences between America and Germany are that the people of Bozeman, Montana are very nice and friendly compared to the general German community. Bley states, “. . . everybody here is so friendly and so open and they all want to talk to you and everybody says ‘Hi’ even if you don’t know them.” When asked about what she liked about America, she replied with the sentiment that teachers in America worked hard to help students understand the material, as opposed to being given the material to memorize but not to understand. She preferred this method of teaching because it helps her understand the coursework and makes learning more fun. On the topic of language, Bley has been taking an English class in Germany since 3rd grade, but believes her English fluency and accent has gotten much better here in Bozeman.

From Spain, Allegra Cruanyes Valdés and Juan Cañero Ferraz shed light on Spanish culture in comparison to American life. Cañero Ferraz explained the differences between Spain and America; he mentioned meal times, the usual time for lunch being 3:00 or 4:00 and dinner around 9:00 in Spain. He likes the concept of high school in the United States because it provides the opportunity for electives and extracurricular activities. Cañero Ferraz made the comment, “If you want to do sports or music you have to go outside [of school programs].” Cañero Ferraz plays violin in two of Gallatin's Orchestras, and plans to join our tennis team in the spring. Cañero Ferraz and Cruanyes Valdés both began taking English classes as part of their school curriculum at the age of three or four, making English a part of their everyday life. However, like Bley, they both believe that their vocabulary and accents have gotten better through their experience. In Cruanyes Valdés native country, there are more community events and urban activities. She expressed her desire to come to America to experience a typical American highschool experience, referring to the romanized version of American schooling in modern media, which was one of her reasons for joining the cheer team. Cruanyes Valdés has been a member of our school cheerleading squad since the beginning of the school year and has attended all our home football games. She said, “I always wanted to come to the USA because all the movies and Hollywood are here, so obviously they are going to be based off of [the] American lifestyle and experiences. . . but then you come here and it's like you're inside a movie.” 

The majority of the exchange students interviewed for this article partnered with ICES (International Cultural Exchange Services), however, Cruanyes Valdés with Rotary Youth Exchange. Bozeman itself also has a Rotary Youth Exchange;as foreign exchange is not a one way street, it’s also possible for students here at GHS to apply. Through the Rotary Club according to their pamphlets, a student can participate in an exchange usually lasting around one academic year. Within that year, a student can expect to live with two separate families in a host country. While costs vary depending on the chosen country, the average cost is approximately 24,000 U.S. dollars. However, within our Rotary Club a scholarship is currently offered, this would basically cover a whole year! While the time for applications has passed it’s always something to consider while debating plans for the upcoming years. 

In general foreign exchange is a life changing experience and our school is lucky enough to have these students here. While our community benefits from the assimilation of different cultural perspectives, the same can be said about the native countries of foreign exchange students. While there may be some cultural shocks, overall, a foreign exchange opportunity is an eye opening event that one could miss out on for opportunities. Look around, get to know these students, and engage with their cultures. Better yet, consider expanding your own horizons and choosing to participate in your own exchange year!