Starting a new year can be stressful for new students, leaving behind warm summer days without homework or being trapped in a sweltering building. Now, imagine doing this in an entirely unfamiliar country. Leaving friends, family, and familiar surroundings may seem daunting but it can offer amazing new experiences for students. Speaking a different language, trying new foods, meeting people and even living with people that are almost strangers are just some of the challenges to being a foreign exchange student; however, the rewards are present and offer many opportunities to have fun and enjoy what the rest of the world has to offer.

This year, Revere High School is hosting three new foreign exchange students: Luise Graf, Julia Grubert, and Urho “William” Vepsäläinen. All three are from Europe and have been speaking English for quite some time, but according to Graf, constantly speaking a different language can be difficult.

“At the beginning it was very exhausting to speak English all the time, and every activity was much more challenging because everything was new,” Graf said.

Graf came to the United States from eastern Germany where she lived in Dresden. Her host family is the Isada’s. She has been speaking English for six years and began learning Russian in sixth grade. She enjoys her time here and finds it easy to live with her host siblings, Alex and Mae. However, explained Graf, the challenges of uprooting and trying something new has proven difficult.

“I think the first challenge is to get used to a totally new life and lifestyle. The first couple of days you just cannot realize that you are living in a new country for an entire year. Sometimes you wish that you are just back in Germany where everything is normal, you have your friends and family there and it is just your normal surroundings, but I would never want to miss [this] experience. I think it is a challenge to get used to the everyday life and to get to know all these new people who are suddenly part of your life,” Graf said.

Grubert is also from Germany and is staying with the McCartys. Now, after just one month of being here, she sees Eve as a “real sister” and enjoys watching Netflix with her. The McCarty’s have hosted three other girls in the past and understand how at first, it is difficult for the new person to acclimate to the family’s schedule. The process of hosting a foreign exchange student is not too time consuming. Eve McCarty explains how her family was able to host Graf.

“There [are] organizations and you can say, ‘I would like to host a person’,” McCarty said. “They send you a list and there’s a picture of the person, a bio, and a photo collage. If you like one of the students you can request them to come live with you.”

Vepsäläinen grew up in Finland and stays with the Shepker family. He is currently on the football team and speaks Swedish, English, and some German.

The schools in Finland and most of Europe, according to the students, are different than American schools. According to Vepsäläinen explained that students have different classes every day and Graf said that the classes are a lot shorter as well. While some chain restaurants are similar, the recipes most Americans see as go-tos may be strange to someone who has not grown up here. Even the way Americans eat food can be seen as not the usual for an exchange student.

“Both of my parents here work, and we only eat dinner together. In Germany, every [day], we have lunch together and that’s the long one. Here the dinner is long,” Grubert said.

Up to three foreign exchange students are accepted each school year. In previous years, the school has hosted students from Asia and South America.

All of the foreign exchange students attend RHS for the duration of the school year. Hopefully, they will be able to experience American culture and return home with great stories about everything they did with newfound friends in new places. The difference between cultures may add a new dimension to school and education, also opening doors across the ocean for these students to explore.