OXFORD – Carlos Alvarado found Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School far different than he was used to on his first day of classes Thursday.

It was the first time the 17-year-old senior from Honduras had been in an American public school.

Here through an international study abroad program, he is living with Dave and Cathy Knightly in Oxford. Dave is a Spanish teacher at the school.

Alvarado said he came to America because he wanted to know more about the culture. In Honduras he was an English language translator, and attended an American school.

Upon stepping foot in the high school, he said he realized it was way different than what he was used to.

His Honduran school had about 150 students. OHCHS has more than 1,200. In Honduras the students stay in one classroom while the teachers rotate. At Oxford Hills, the students do the rotating. In Honduras, he had to wear a uniform. At OHCHS, he saw a wide variety of outfits.

“I’ve never seen Gothic dress before,” Alvarado said. “It was kind of freaky for me.”

He walked into his first class and sat in the back. Other students were friendly, he said, and they peppered him with all sorts of questions.

His course load included advanced placement chemistry, advanced placement calculus and anatomy and physiology.

Advanced placement chemistry was his favorite class of the day, he said. He met his lab partner and got to know others in the class.

“The teacher was fun,” Alvarado said.

Chemistry was his least favorite subject in Honduras, and he said he knows it will be hard for him here as well.

Going to lunch was the hardest part of the day, he said. He walked into the cafeteria and didn’t know where to sit, so he sat alone. Then a classmate from his literature class waved him over.

Alvarado is auditioning for the school’s chamber choir, will participate in the intercultural club and might even join the cross country team.

At the end of the year he goes back to Honduras, but will be back if he is accepted into college here. He hopes to pursue a career in biomedical engineering.