Many situations in America feel normal to those who are born in the United States. To those from different countries, however, many activities Americans do and say are odd. For example, here in America, it’s normal to say small greetings to people they pass such as “How are you,” or “I like your shirt,” but in other countries like Germany, it’s out of place. Many of these are strange or out of place to Luana, a foreign exchange student new to Cannon Falls High School.
Luana Hyla is a foreign exchange student from Hagen, Germany, near Dortmund and Cologne. Hagen has a population of around 200,000 people. According to Luana, Hagen does not get as cold as Minnesota does in the winter. Instead, Hagen only reaches around 0° C or 32° F. Luana is currently staying with the Friesenborgs, who are her host family. She was placed here by an organization called Camps International. She arrived in New York and was given a briefing on how to handle culture shocks and other such circumstances. She says she didn’t pick to stay in Cannon Falls, and that the organization chose for her.
A common arrangement among foreign exchange students is that they are considered seniors when attending Cannon Falls. Although they are “seniors”, not all of them actually spend their last school year in a different country. For Luana, this is not her last year of school; she has one more year before she will graduate. It’s also the only year available to be a foreign exchange student for her. When asked why she wanted to come to America, she said “I always dreamed to experience this American high school dream, like the high school experience. It was just there, this dream to be an exchange student in the United States. I never thought about other countries, and I think most of it was to see the yellow school buses, to go to a high school here.” She also says in school, a small shock she had was how casual Americans tend to dress. Luana says in Germany they wear nicer clothes to school like jeans. Another culture shock she experienced was the amount of fast food people eat in America. Luana is used to eating foods like bread with pork or cheese. She typically has a cold breakfast, a warm lunch, and a cold dinner with bread.
Luana Hyla says she plans to stay until the end of the year, but she does want to come back to the US in the future. Before going home to Hagen, she plans to visit Arizona to visit her host family’s relatives and see the Grand Canyon. She also is excited to join track when the season begins and is looking for a youth group to join. Mrs. Hoffman, the school’s guidance counselor, was asked what she thinks of Luana and what she hopes Luana can get out of her experience here. Mrs. Hoffman said “Luana seems like a very nice person, and she is open to new experiences. Ella, our exchange student from Sweden, has taken her under her wing and they try new things together. I haven’t gotten a chance to meet with Luana much, but the teachers are enjoying her in their classes. I hope Luana feels welcomed by the people in our schools and the community, and that she has a good experience in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, USA.”
Luana will only be at Cannon Falls High School for the rest of the current semester, but it is sure to hold many surprises for her. She is excited to make new friends in different countries and continents and learn about American culture all while improving her English. Being a foreign exchange student is a big decision, but is more than often worth it. Luana has taken a big step being here, but she is sure to feel welcome here.
