Foreign Friends

Since I was first introduced to the concept, I have always been fascinated by foreign exchange students. To me, these individuals are the exemplars of youthful cardinal collisions. Just as the name alludes to, these students are facilitating a direct exchange of cultures. If I had the opportunity and was more fluent in my Chinese, I would study a year abroad as a foreign exchange student. Until this fantasy is fulfilled, I seek to benefit from the process on the home front. As a student, a newspaper staff member, and member of a church, I have fulfilled the latter.

As a Student: The school with which I attend is a strong proponent of the foreign exchange program. Each year, we have about 10 foreign students from around the world. I am not sure how, but in a school of nearly 2000, I have had the opportunity to develop relationships with these select few. My freshmen year, I became friends with a girl from Germany. She was on the swim team, a fellow breaststroker. The following year, I developed a strong friendship with a girl from Hong Kong. We had two classes together, one being Chinese. This proved very helpful in my language study, seeing she was a master in that subject. Outside of school, we hung out and made lasting memories. To this day, we keep in touch. Call me what you want, I am a magnet to cultural connections. To me, they provide invaluable lessons and insight available to those interested and seeking.

As a Newspaper Staff Member: Our school newspaper prizes itself on the diversity of its coverage. Likewise, we always have a story about the new "cultural" exchange students. (I guess "cultural" is more politically correct in the world of journalism, according to our advisor---I agree to this to one extent---once I met the students, they didn't seem foreign at all.) One year, I was the one appointed with the task of writing the departure story of these incredible students. I remember interviewing each student about their experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and was secretly envious of them all. It was sad to think about their departure. They would probably never return to our little town in America ever again. But yet, I was thrilled to think we were going to have Cougar fans all around the world.

As a Church Member: What a joy it was to discover a new face in the youth group this year. Her name is Mary. She is a foreign exchange student from Russia. Although not a Cougar, she attends another local high school and is being hosted by a family at my church. Already, she has taught me a lot about her culture. I think it is safe to say she thinks the same of us. The greatest insight supports a topic from a past posting: having a virtual twin. While Mary and I don't look anything alike, we share many commonalities. The coolest common ground is our religion. It's encouraging to meet believers from around the world, a sign of God's domain. I look forward to a blessed year together with her and the culture she ambassadors.