Have you ever thought about doing an exchange year, where you leave your friends, your family and your country, to learn new things? Here, seeing exchange student roam the halls along with familiar faces has become an everyday sight. This year, there are six exchange students, which is double the amount we had last year. These exchange students sign up with programs like Rotary International, FLEX and ICE to have the opportunity to meet new people, experience new cultures and learn new languages.

Though Pleasant Valley has had many exchange students throughout the years, many students are not aware they too could have the chance to spend a semester or even a whole school year abroad, or that their family could even host an exchange student. Mary Gode and her family hosted 2 exchange students for half a year in 2016 and are now currently hosting an exchange student from Latvia. Gode says she loves having an exchange student because “it motivates [her family] to do more, and take them on small trips to places like Chicago or the Field of Dreams.” She says that it’s fun to take them to see how big America is because she and her family like to travel a lot around the USA.

Beate Sprindžuka is the exchange student that is staying with the Gode family. She is 17 years old and says she has “wanted to take part in an exchange program ever since she was 13 years old” because she wanted to “see the world and the diversity of it.”

Another exchange student is 15-year-old Amanda Drobot from the Ukraine. When Drobot got the call that she was one of the finalists for her exchange program she said her “happiness was boundless.” She was ecstatic that “a new world of opportunities, acquaintances and impressions opened up” before her. She said she would recommend taking an exchange year because “there are so many differences between countries that you can’t even imagine.” The PV exchange program is a prime example that stepping out of one’s comfort zone can be great. While it may be daunting at first, the experiences will last a lifetime.

If an exchange year has ever crossed your mind, maybe now you’ll be more open to the idea of leaving the comfort of your home, and experience life in another culture. The local exchange organization is the Rotary club, which has coordinated previous PV student’s years abroad. The foreign language department will be hosting a Rotary club presentation, explaining the ins and outs of a year abroad in the coming months.