by Sara Jessica Dilks and Emily McCann

Kathy Zhang

Junior Kathy Zhang sits in the St. Teresa’s Academy Commons, smirking at the plate of syrup-drenched pancakes in front of her. Surrounded by ten eager classmates, she is bombarded with carefully articulated questions about herself. When asked about her favorite television show, Zhang responds simply, “Gossip Girl. I like Chuck and Blair.” When another student inquires why she doesn’t have a Twitter account, Zhang must explain that most social networking sites, including Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, are “not allowed by [the] government”. With a Dart videographer, camera and tripod nearby, Zhang’s reaction to her first taste of an American-style pancake has stirred up much anticipation. After taking a bite, Zhang flashes a smile to those who surround her. “It’s good…yeah.”

It’s one of the first uniquely American customs Zhang has experienced since she arrived as an exchange student from her home in the metropolitan city of Guangzhou, China through the study abroad program CIEE. The program matched her with a “host mom,” Kansas City local Ms. Jennifer Dye, a single mother who works at Operation Breakthrough.

“I had always [thought], ‘Oh, if I stay in America, what will I do? How to make friends? How should I stay with my host family?’” Zhang said. “All because this is a very important [step] in my life.”

According to Zhang, the primary reason why she wants to attend high school in the United States is because she “wants to learn more about the American life.” However, American pop culture is not entirely new to Zhang, who enjoys watching the Twilight movies and listening to Taylor Swift (her favorite songs include “You Belong With Me” and “Never Ever Getting Back Together”).

On Zhang’s first day in America, she describes how she felt “nervous and scared,” especially since English is not her first language.

“[There were] many things I didn’t know and I felt horrible,” Zhang said.

Despite her initial anxiety, Zhang recognizes St. Teresa’s students and teachers in helping her to transition to her new life here, which she describes as being “harder than I thought it would be”.

“This school is so nice and the girls are also. The teachers always help me because sometimes I don’t know [how to do something].”

In addition, Zhang plans to live in Kansas City for one year and is also hopeful to attend a university in America once she finishes high school.

“I knew what [Kansas City] would look like [because] I googled it and saw pictures and thought, ‘Ohhh!’” Zhang said.

When asked about her favorite part of the United States so far, Zhang replies with a smile. “I like the people.”

Georgina Legg

Germany, England, Greece, Poland, India, and the Netherlands. All these countries sound like ideal destinations for once in a lifetime vacations. For recent transfer student, junior Georgina Legg, she has called all of these countries home.

From a young age, Legg has had to adapt to the countries and specific schools she has attended.

“[St. Teresa’s] is the 13th school I’ve attended,” Legg said. “I’m done with being scared all the time.”

Legg moved to Kansas City in December 2011 where she initially attended The Pembroke Hill School. She transferred to STA this year because the credit from her English boarding school wasn’t accepted at Pembroke.

“I think [STA] has been very welcoming,” Legg said. “It is also my attitude. This is the last high school I’ll ever go to and since I’ve been to so many I can just get really into it.”

According to Legg, she has grown used to moving often throughout her childhood.

“[We move around so often] because my dad’s job keeps changing,” Legg said. “Right now he’s doing some type of online advertising.”

Legg has had to find a way to cope with all her different homes.

“Moving is still emotional,” Legg said. “I’ve accepted it because I can’t change it. I make friends everywhere.”

Legg and her family spent the first years of her life in Great Britain. They proceeded to move to several different countries during her childhood. When Legg became a teenager, her family moved back to England.

“After a while, my parents moved to Amsterdam,” Legg said. “I stayed at boarding school with [my older brother] Henry. I would only see my parents once a term. It’s different now for me to live with my parents all the time.”

Legg says the transition from boarding school to STA has been smooth.

“I have the freedom now to not have a routine all the time,” Legg said. “Day school is more independent. But I like both kinds of schools in different ways.”

The move to America was not easy for Legg but she is enjoying her new lifestyle.

“The move to America was the hardest because of the age I’m at,” Legg said. “But [STA] was welcoming and I wasn’t very nervous. It’s not so snobby here and you just get on with what you do.”

Arianna Guglielminotti

Who knew that 36 hours of travel time was nine months in the making?

For STA exchange student Arianna Guglielminotti, the process of becoming eligible to study in the United States was a long one that started last November.

First, she had to select the countries she was interested in traveling to.

“My first choice of country was actually Canada,” Guglielminotti said. “The United States was my second choice and since there were not many host families in Canada, I came here.”

Guglielminotti took her first preparatory exam in November with psychologists.

“I had to have my first examination to make sure I was ready to travel in the United States,” Guglielminotti said. “They did a personality test and confirmed I could study abroad.”

Following her psychological exam, Guglielminotti took an English proficiency test in January and was told she was cleared to study abroad in the fall.

“After I was cleared to go abroad, I started communicating with the Burnette family,” Guglielminotti said. “I was talking to Basil on Facebook and her mother on email. The only person I didn’t get to talk to was the younger brother.”

When it came time to travel across the ocean, Guglielmonotti traveled to Rome with her family where they said their goodbyes.

“My parents were excited for me to leave,” Guglielminotti said. “They wanted to leave [Italy] when they were younger and it is good for them to see me having this experience.”

After goodbyes were said, Guglielminotti and fellow exchange students got on a bus and headed to the airport around 3 a.m.

“I took a plane from Rome to Frankfurt, Germany to Houston and then to Kansas City,” Guglielminotti said. “There were volunteers from the organization that picked us up at the airport and took us to a hotel where we spent the night. The Burnette family picked me up at the hotel that next morning.”

With just 44 pounds of luggage allowed, Guglielminotti brought just her essentials and will have to buy more clothes for the coming season.

“My laptop was so heavy that I couldn’t bring it,” Guglielminotti said. “I have had to buy a lot of my stuff here.”

Guglielminotti has several words of advice for those looking to study abroad.

“You have to be really brave,” Guglielminotti said. “I didn’t know it could really be so hard. Having a different language and learning things can be really hard.”

She says you have to have lots of conviction to make the commitment to go abroad.

“I had to be really convinced,” Guglielminotti said. “A full year is a long time and half of that time is just getting adjusted.”