Chloe Davis
Reporter
“New Canaan is not a naturally diverse community,” Principal Tony Pavia said. It’s no secret that the high school could use a little more variety in its students, and that’s where foreign exchange students come in.
Mr. Pavia said that the high school gets one or two requests for exchange students per year. In fact, in all the years that foreign exchange students have attended the high school, there has never been more than two at a time.
This year, junior Josefin Karjel, from Stockholm, Sweden, is the high school’s one and only foreign exchange student. Josefin has already noticed some major changes. “One of the main differences is that you need to get driven everywhere,” she said. “In Sweden, we just take the subway or walk. You get yourself places.”
It’s understandable that foreign students will probably experience difficulties. “I don’t know if I experienced culture shock, but I’m not used to going to a school this big,” Josefin said. “It’s also different living in a small town.”
Principal Pavia indicated that establishing relationships with people who are different from them is vital for students. Josefin, who lives with junior Sam Hines’ family, has done just that. “She has allowed me to see another perspective of a teenager from a different country,” Sam said
“It’s hard to pinpoint specific details that make her different,” Sam said. “It’s really more about the whole atmosphere of being around someone who is that different.”
Although there is only one exchange student this year, there are also a number of international students who are not part of the exchange program. “We have students not just from Sweden, but Brazil, Honduras, Italy and China as well,” Mr. Pavia said. “It’s a wonderful learning opportunity for all students.”
The opportunity to interact with different cultures and learn about other countries is an exciting experience, one of many that the high school students are presented with.
In a town where diversity is scarce, the chance to establish relationships with foreign teenagers is essential. “It absolutely makes our school better,” Mr. Pavia said. “I always talk about ‘The Classroom of Life.’ There’s only so much you can learn in a classroom. To meet international students gives them a better perspective on what the world is like.”
