RUMFORD — Students from away — far away — as well as local students are getting a thorough international education this year as Mountain Valley High School hosts eight foreign exchange students.

“This is a way to offer some diversity to the students here,” said MVHS Principal Matt Gilbert. “You can talk about China all day (for example) but it’s so much more relevant with the kids here.”

This year, local families are hosting one student from Hong Kong, one from Spain, one from Denmark, two from Brazil, and three from Germany. Sissel Esbjerg Jakobsen, from Denmark, is the only girl.

“I like being the only girl. I connect with all the boys, and I have a lot of female friends,” she said.

All the young people agree that Americans are very friendly and school spirit is something very positive about attending a high school in rural Maine.

“Everyone is proud of their school. I like the American spirit,” said Nick Lehrke of Germany.

Toni Weber, also from Germany, said becoming an exchange student was his mother’s idea, but something he also wanted to do. A couple of years ago he came to the United States and visited several tourist sites in Florida. He liked what he saw.

Toni is also getting involved in the sports culture at Mountain Valley, something schools in his country don’t offer. He plays on the tennis team, has signed up for both Alpine and cross-country skiing, and is thinking about playing lacrosse.

Most agree that the food is different in this country, and several have gained weight on the diet of McDonald’s and pizza. But they like the food.

Luiz Ristow, Brazil, liked what he heard from his brother who was an exchange student at a high school in Georgia two years ago.

“Things are really different here. School is easier. At home, we have 16 or 17 subjects. But life is better here. In Brazil, there are lots of poor people. It is really divided,” he said.

Yago Ceballos from Spain came to the United States for the same reason many other foreign exchange students do — he wants to improve his English. When he returns home, he plans to finish high school, then enter the Spanish Navy.

Sissel, who wants to study psychology, said learning English will help to find better jobs.

Most come from large cities in their native countries, prompting a few to find difficulty finding something to do.

“There’s not much to do here but hang out. You have to take a car everywhere,” Sissel said. She also said students don’t have to work so hard to get good grades as they do in her home country.

Johannes Buecker, a German student, was impressed with the size of everything when he landed in Chicago.

“Everything is so big — wow!” he said. He knew he’d like the United States because he liked what he saw in the movies.

Ka Wing Poon, from Hong Kong, spent a year in New Zealand as an exchange student before coming to the United States. At Mountain Valley, he doesn’t have to wear a uniform as he did in New Zealand, as well as in his home school.
One of the most surprising things he found was all the discussion and attention paid to game hunting. That doesn’t happen in Hong Kong.

Joao Fialho, from Brazil, said sometimes he misses some things from back home but he has found it easy to make friends. When he returns, he’ll be expected to describe his American experience.

“You need to come here and live it before you known what it’s like here,” he said.

Principals from the three high schools of Western Foothills Regional School Unit 10 hope to bring all 14 foreign exchange students together at some point during the school year.

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Mountain Valley High School is hosting eight foreign exchange students this school year. Back: Toni Weber, Germany; Johannes Buecker, Germany; Sissel Jakobsen, Denmark; Joao Fialho, Brazil; Luiz Ristow, Brazil; Front: Ka Wing Poon, Hong Kong; Yago Ceballos, Spain; and Nick Lehrke, Germany.