Forgein Exchange Student Dominates FFA Districts

     On Monday, April 7, Palmyra High School celebrated a victory at the FFA District Food Science competition, with sophomore Elena Modest leading the charge. Elena, a foreign exchange student from Berlin, Germany, placed first High Individual in the district, with the rest of her team (Emily Wietholder, Anna Salo, and Kadon Timbrook) also scoring in the top 10.

     When asked about her decision to attend high school in America, Elena reported  wanting to improve her English and embark on an adventure. She says life in Palmyra has been quite a change. “Berlin is definitely a very big town but I really love it. Everyone is…kind of crazy,” she says, laughing. Though Palmyra is much smaller than she is used to, she has adjusted well and is enjoying life in Missouri. “I like all the new experience[s] that I'm making here and the new things that I'm trying out,” she says. While in America, she has visited Kansas City, the Lake of the Ozarks, and Memphis, Tennessee. 

     Elena has enjoyed making new friends and getting to know her host family, as well as being enrolled in the YMCA’s swim team and Palmyra FFA. She recalled a frequently asked question she’d gotten from Palmyra students. “I feel like sometimes people think that Germany is super old fashioned and not modern, and I have people asking me if we have cars,” she shares. Germany is in fact as “modern” as the United States. 

     Elena misses her parents and her two younger sisters, and is excited to see them soon. 

Thank you, Palmyra, for making Elena feel welcome! Want to cheer her on? Keep an eye out for FFA’s next event and show some Palmyra pride!