Madysen Leiterman - Manitowoc, Wisconsin
This fall, Madysen will attend Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Her future plans are to be an ICU travel nurse.
Getting to know exchange students and their cultures is an extraordinary way for us to grow personally, both emotionally and intellectually. Without exchange student programs, we would be missing out on cultural experiences that can't be taught in books. By meeting and interacting with exchange students, we grow our connections and cultural understandings of people.
As a school, we should get to know each exchange student and their culture. We can do this by creating culture clubs in our high schools. Not only should exchange students be in this club, but it should also include local students who want to learn about other cultures and share their own culture. As a club, we should celebrate holidays that are important to the students. This could be done through decorations, song, dance, clothing, and food that are significant to that holiday. We also need to reciprocate and share our holidays with them.
Another way to make exchange students feel comfortable would be to have a food
exchange. It could be shared through snacks, meals, candy or even learning how to prepare the food together. Opportunities like these encourage communication and sharing of ideas. It helps people to bond in a more relaxed environment.
Most importantly, local students need to be willing to invite exchange students into our friend groups to make them feel included. This could be done by inviting them to join your sport or club. One way to do this at school would be by creating a buddy system, so they have someone to connect with during class and school hours. This should be someone they feel safe and comfortable with so they can ask questions and not feel judged. This is where it would be nice if our schools sent more people out into different countries, so that the exchange students we get have someone to relate to.
Last year I had the honor to travel to Japan with the Manitowoc Sister City Exchange program. This was an amazing way to share my own culture and learn about theirs. More schools in the United States should send their students out into different countries. This would give local students the opportunity to learn about different countries hands-on, not just in books or presentations.
As a community, the local schools should interact with each other and create an
international group. This would be a student-run group connecting the local public and private high schools in that area. The group could go out and do community activities together, so that exchange students can make more acquaintances and network.
In the end, it's those small moments, like inviting them to hang out with your friends, or just being nice to them, that they remember and will hold a good memory of our culture. As someone who has experienced being an exchange student, this is what stuck with me the most. It was the kindness and willingness to learn that made me enjoy my experience. This is what we as a community can do to provide opportunities for cultural sharing.