International exchange programs offer students innumerable opportunities for personal growth and give them a new understanding of life beyond their communities. While it is never easy to pack up and head off for an unpredictable experience across the globe, the lessons learned by exploring new cultures are invaluable.
New Albany has become a haven for exchange students. The city’s focus on health, arts and culture, education and environment attract international students embarking on their journeys of world and self-discovery. Mahoro Ishikawa, a 16-year-old student from Sakata, Japan, and Hanna Lisnell, an 18-year-old student from Marstrand, Sweden, arrived in August to experience life within the white horse fencing.
Outside the Comfort Zone
Lisa Ireland, a resident of New Albany for 15 years, is an International Exchange Coordinator at EF High School Exchange Year. She also served as Ishikawa and Lisnell’s host parent throughout this year.
“Two big things that can be a challenge with exchange students can be their diet and allergies,” Ireland says. “Some of these kids can go through a real big culture shock.”
Ishikawa is not used to waking up in the morning to a bowl of cereal or what we see as an ordinary plate of eggs and bacon.
“I eat things like fish or soup a lot for breakfast,” she says.
A common breakfast for Ishikawa and Lisnell since arriving in early August has been yogurt with granola, toast and sometimes leftovers. Lisnell is accustomed to food from different cultures in Sweden, and she appreciates the variety that central Ohio has to offer as well. However, this was a learning opportunity for Ishikawa.
“I do not usually eat salad in Japan like I do here,” she says. “We eat a lot of vegetables, but we normally cook and fry them.”
Much of the food she tries is as new to her as using a fork and knife rather than chopsticks.
Exchange students must also navigate a new social life. Choosing to study abroad can be a difficult decision, and not just for the exchange students themselves.
“My friends would ask me a lot why I would want to do this,” Lisnell says. “I really want to see American culture and (experience) high school.”
It is not always a focus for EF High School Exchange Year to place these students in big cities like New York or Los Angeles, Ireland says. And for foreign students who may only know American culture through popular media, the experience of a smaller city like New Albany can come as a surprise.
“They get their impressions of America through watching movies and they all think it’s these rich people and kids from Los Angeles,” Ireland says. “It is not all how things are painted in the media.”
A Life Within a Year
Ireland explains that the honeymoon period wears off about a month into an exchange when students settle in to their new lives for the remaining year. So, Ireland says, it’s important to build community in the new city to combat feelings of isolation.
“Staying busy can be healthy and helps you settle in much faster,” Ireland says. “You have to be here and be here now.”
Extracurricular activities help international students to engage and make new friends in school. Ireland stresses the importance of joining a sport, a club or a musical group like choir or band to feel more engaged.
For Lisnell, New Albany is much bigger than her small town by the sea in Sweden and she came prepared to socialize.
“Not being afraid to talk with a lot of people and just having fun helps a lot,” she says. “We do not play any sports here (in New Albany) but we love to walk and go to parks to see nature.”
Ishikawa and Lisnell stay active by exploring metro parks throughout central Ohio such as the scenic trail at Rocky Fork. After seeing the leaves change, the two girls are especially excited to experience the magic of the holiday season.
“I wanted to know more about the holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas because we do not celebrate everything the same way they do here in America,” Lisnell says.
In New Albany, residents are lucky they don’t have to go far to experience something new. Everyone can make a global impact in New Albany by simply sharing local culture, and EF High School Exchange Year is always looking for host families in the school district.
“The school is very open to learning about people from different places in the world,” Ireland says.
Grady Libertini is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
