Features Editor
Imagine traveling thousands of miles away from your home to stay in a foreign country, where no one knows you or speaks your native language. That's exactly what these Apex High School exchange students did. Although they come from all over the globe, they are typical teenagers just like you. Here is some information about each of them:
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| Zsolt Fekete |
Home Country: Hungary
American Stereotypes: “I heard Americans are not that clever, but I do not think
that’s true. Some of them [are], but most are very hard working”
Favorite & least favorite thing
about American schools:
“I prefer the classes here, because
they are much more interesting; in Hungary they are quite boring. Here [I
enjoy] weight lifting, because there is no weight lifting in Hungary. But
it is [also] quite boring to have the same classes everyday (in America)."
Hobbies: "I am a fighter. I do MMA and I like boxing too.
I started with boxing when I was twelve years old. American football is
very exciting. I like that.”  |
| Johanne Klausen |
Home Country: Norway
American Stereotypes: “Well, I was maybe imagining the whole jock and cheerleader,
and the popular girls. But it’s like everyone has a place, so no one is
unpopular.”
Favorite & least favorite thing
about American schools: “There
are so many opportunities, I come from a very small place, so doing theatre is
something I could never do where I come from.”
How does school here differ from
your school at home: “Uh... everything… It’s very
different, I don’t know where to begin. It’s very strict here, like you can’t
go to the bathroom without asking, and you have to sit in your chair until the
bell rings. It’s not like that in Norway. Also we have the same eight subjects
every day.
Do you have any hobbies, and why you
enjoy them?
“I can do theatre which is very nice and [there
are] all kind of sports I can try.” |
| Pegah Zoroofchi |
Home Country: Germany
American Stereotypes: “I was here [in America] last year… I went to California…
and the stereotypes were from last year [and were proved wrong]. It [America] is
not all like we [foreigners] really think it is.”
Favorite & least favorite thing
about American schools: “The
people are all so nice and they’re all so tolerant. I don’t know if it is my
least favorite thing, but it’s really different because here we have the same
four classes every day. I don’t know if I like it more or less.”
Hobbies: “Back at home I was hip hop dancing a lot, but I haven't
done a lot of dancing here.”
Best tips to get through a long plane flight: “Get good music. I like more R&B
music." |
| Lena Hauberg |
Home Country: Germany
American Stereotypes: “Yeah, like fat, big trucks, and some of them are true.”
Favorite & least favorite thing
about American schools: “That
you can choose your own classes yourself, in Germany I can’t choose.”
How does school here differ from
your school at home: “Obviously the language... The
classes are also a lot longer [here] than in Germany.”
Hobbies: “Yeah, I’m doing cross country and I’m playing the
guitar."
Best tips to get through a long plane flight: “Listen to your phone and fill it with the
best music. Have a pillow, and hope you have a nice person next to you." |
| "Guy" Sabhavash |
Home Country: Thailand
Favorite & least favorite thing
about American schools: “People
are very nice and teachers are very nice too. Some of the culture is
different, like people here socialize so much.”
How does school here differ from
your school at home: “We sit
and the teachers come to my room, but here we go to the teachers’ rooms.”
Hobbies: "I play the electric guitar."
Favorite thing about America: “I love American [food]… I love Chick-fil-A, we [do] not
have [them] in Thailand.”
Favorite school
subject: “I really like interior design." 
