I’m sure all of you know
of our international student program at Aquinas. Do you really understand it?
In this article I will be telling you about an interview I had with a dear
friend of mine. You will be able to read about new experiences and hardships of
being away from home. Now sit back and relax, grab a cup of java! I’m going to
tell you Zoey Fan’s story…
Last
year was Zoey’s first year being an international student at Aquinas. She is
extremely nice and funny, and I met her last year when she was a junior. Zoey
is an exchange student from China. At home she is an only child, but in America
she has the pleasure of having a loving host family with a son and daughter who
essentially are her new siblings. Zoey holds her host family dear to her heart,
and I can tell that she loves them a lot when she tells me about all of the
things they do for her. She explained that this was her first time traveling
alone, and the flight was nineteen hours long! She said that even though the
flight itself wasn’t all that bad, it did break her heart for when she looked
back to say goodbye to her mother, tears streamed down her face, and she was
afraid to go through this alone.
When
Zoey finally reached America she did enjoy her first year with many new
experiences, although not everything was smooth sailing. Zoey had to change
host families to get to the one she has today, and she had to endure many tears
evoked by unwelcoming people. She even considered returning home to China at
one point. Along with all of this, she explained how difficult it was to speak
a different language in a different country every day. In the end she says she is
very proud of herself for being strong and pushing through the rain to reach
the rainbow.
There were plenty of good
things that outweighed the bad for Zoey, inlcuding the different food,
lifestyles, and culture America had to offer her. Zoey participated in
celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Lilac Festival! She has
enjoyed all of the activities that came with each holiday and all of the
delicious foods her host family prepared for her. Zoey participated in varsity
tennis during her senior year, a sport she practiced in China. She also
participated in Women’s Leadership both last year and this year. It was something
new that her school at home did not offer. Zoey also gave me some fun facts
about the difference between China’s schools and America's. She said that in
Chinese schools you don’t use lockers, and you are allowed to carry a backpack
with you all day. She also mentioned that she had ten minute breaks between every
period. These differences made adapting to our school life very confusing, but also exciting.
I’m very glad to have
gotten to know Zoey over the years, and I hope that this article has helped YOU
to get to know Zoey! I also hope that it helps you to realize that everyone
goes through tough times, and your simple act of kindness could go a long way.
Please don’t hesitate to get to know someone new like Zoey, I’m sure you won’t
regret it! I feel as though no matter how many hardships this girl has been
through, she always seems to be able to bounce back and give her best and a
smile to everyone.
By: E Sommers
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