Exchange students enjoy life in Rio Rancho
Food, weather, sense of community appeal to high-schoolers
When Henryk Kronsbein thought about going on a foreign exchange, he wanted to spend the year somewhere completely different from his native Germany. New Mexico, with its cactus, chile and coyotes, was a perfect fit.
Now the 15-year-old is spending his junior year at V. Sue Cleveland High, attending school dances, football games and marching band concerts.
“I really like it — the people are nice,” he said, walking outside the Rio Rancho school on a recent Friday morning.
Kronsbein is one of 10 foreign exchange students attending Cleveland through Education First, a Boston-based company that places students with host families around the country. Another 18 are enrolled at Rio Rancho High School.
The students hail from across Europe and Asia: Italy, Germany, Switzerland, South Korea, Austria, Latvia, China, South Korea.
Julie Trappett, a Cleveland French teacher and foreign exchange committee chair, said they bring a lot to the community.
“New Mexico, we are small and we are kind of isolated,” she said. “How often will you get to meet someone from Latvia and actually develop a relationship with them?”
By coming to the Land of Enchantment, the exchange students are also getting to experience a different part of America than the major cities they often see in movies, Trappett said.
“This is not New York or California,” she said.
In an interview with the Journal, the teens said they have enjoyed their time at Cleveland High, which is more social and immersive than their schools back home.
“Sport has such a big influence here,” said Silva Bisofa, a native of Latvia. “I like the teams and the spirit days. You feel like you are really part of something.”
A member of the Cleveland dance team, Bisofa often stays at school until late in the evening for practice, which gives her a feeling of community.
South Korean student Jiwon Choi agreed that clubs, games and dances are a much bigger influence in the U.S. than Asia, where the focus is on academics and teachers are strict.
Similarly, in Germany, cellphones are off limits during school, Kronsbein said, and there was nothing like the fun student dress-up days, when kids come to class in pajamas or costumes.
“They even play music in school on Fridays,” Kronsbeinsaid.
The group also gave thumbs ups to the state’s sunny weather and local cuisine.
Bisofa eats New Mexican food twice a week and wondered if she could find a way to ship some green chile back to Latvia.
“It would probably get stopped by customs,” she said with a laugh.