Unfamiliar faces walk past us each and everyday. It’s not often that we think twice about those faces and the stories and person behind the face. We also sometimes forget the importance of meeting and understanding new people. Luckily, Rolla High has a fantastic tradition of enrolling many exchange students from all over the world each semester and year.

  This semester, Leonie Trips, a new student from Munich, Germany began her semester-long exchange. I had the privilege of sitting down and talking to her about her experiences so far and her life in Germany.

  As Trips adjusts to her temporary new life in America, she also is enrolled in a fairly typical schedule, containing classes such as world foods, PE, math, and American history.

  “I like my classes here. I like world foods and PE the most,” Tripps said of her schedule.

  Uprooting to a new country for six months is not easy. One is often met with many differences, which can become overwhelming. This overwhelming sensation of differences is known as “culture shock,” which can be quite uncomfortable. Luckily, Trips is not experiencing culture shock, but rather is very much so enjoying her time at Rolla High.

  When asked of her experiences so far in school, Trips explained that, “the people in this school are very friendly,” and that “The American school system is very cool. I like it a lot better.”

  There are some obvious differences, however. When it comes to school, the German and American systems are far from similar. Trips explained, “We are in one class all day with the same thirty people, who have the same subjects. The teacher comes to us; we don’t change classrooms. We have a different schedule every day. Sometimes we have six hours, sometimes only afternoon classes. It is also much stricter.”

  It has been made evident that strict schooling can come in handy, though, because without her six years of English studies, it may have been a far more drastic transition from Germany. A transition which has been in the making for well over a year. When asked about how this exchange came about, she explained, “When I was in ninth grade, I considered coming to the USA, but I stopped pursuing it. Then, my mom told an [exchange] organization that I would go without telling me. Then, the organization called and said, ‘Yeah, you wanted to come!’ and things like that, so I just got involved. I’m very happy I did it.”

  Outside of school, however, there may be more in common than one might initially think. Trips explained that it is completely normal for a student to work a part-time job, just the same as here, and explained that, “at sixteen, one can work in restaurants cafes, and pretty much anywhere that a student here might work.” She explained that, “a student in high school who has a job typically would make six to nine euros per hour.”

  Although she expressed that she misses her family, Trips is certainly looking forward to the upcoming months, especially perfecting her English, as she explained to me.

  It all adds up beautifully to make a formula of education, fun, and experience. There’s only one thing missing from the equation, according to Trips: “I miss the bread from Germany,” which is far less than shocking, because who doesn’t love German bread?