By Chelsea Belanger
Staff Writer
Many teens dream of the opportunity to travel to another country and experience the differences in culture. For three students at Goodrich High School, that dream became a reality this school year.
Nia Khachapuridze, 16, is from Georgia, a small country near Russia’between the Black and Caspian seas. Anna Babl and Clerk Jungk, 17, are both from Germany.
All three teens are staying with Goodrich host families and experiencing life in the U.S. for a year. Khachapuridze and Babl will graduate in the spring, while Jungk will be a junior.
‘When you’re 16 and have the opportunity to live 1,000 miles away for a year and experience a different culture and country, it’s the best,? said Nia, who has been living with the Perry family for the last six months. ‘I’m so grateful to my host family and the school for giving me the chance to experience this.?
But adjusting to life so far away wasn’t easy.
‘Georgia is even smaller than Michigan, so here it seems like there’s so much more space than in my city,? she said. ‘And here there isn’t very much public transportation, which was my main source of getting places in Georgia.?
However, adapting to a new language was simple for Nia, who has been learning English since the fourth grade. She also speaks Georgian and Russian, and is in the process of learning German and French.
Clerk’s been living in Goodrich since Sept. 20 and has been staying with the Tangneys. Conveniently, Brian Tangney, Clerk’s host father, is now his hockey coach.
‘I just finished school in Germany and I wanted to play hockey, but I couldn’t find a team there, so I decided to become a foreign exchange student in the U.S.,? said Clerk. ‘I appreciate that the Tangneys are letting me stay with them, I like it there. And I love the Goodrich Varsity Hockey team, they’ve really taught me to be a better player.?
The biggest difference Clerk’s noticed between Germany and America is the school system.
‘At my old school there were 16 required classes. We didn’t get to choose our classes like at Goodrich.?
Both he and Anna agree that there is more school spirit here than at their hometown schools.
Anna arrived Sept. 3, and is staying with the Holbrook family.Anna hasn’t had trouble getting used to her new family.
‘The people you stay with is what makes it home, not the place you’re staying at. So for that reason I’m happy to be staying with the Holbrooks, they’re a great family.? Like Nia and Clerk, Anna was thrilled for the opportunity to experience another country.
‘I’ve always wanted to travel because I’m curious about other cultures. I’ve been to 15 countries and I was especially interested in politics here,? she said.
Anna, who hopes to attain a green card and go to college in America, came to do more than just settle her curiousities.
‘They sent me here to discuss and present differences in the US and Germany. And at the end of my term I go to Washington, D.C. to meet everyone else involved in the (exchange) organization and discuss our experiences.?