Exchange student says America is cool

From left: Lauren, Nancy, Carolina, Chuck

Story and photos by Miranda Beebe

VICTORY TWP. – Carolina Rossi is an Italian/German exchange student who arrived from Milan, Italy on Aug. 25. She’s enrolled in her senior year at Mason County Central High School. The 17-year-old loves to cook and can speak Italian, German, Spanish (but would need to refresh a bit), English and Latin.

“America is cool, and there’s always something to do,” Carolina says. “It’s very, fast paced.” She says there aren’t drive-thru restaurants or free refills on beverages in Italy. They get smaller portions while eating out and don’t take home what they have left-over; they finish it all at the restaurant. Also, there aren’t restaurant franchises, instead they’re privately owned restaurants.

She says America’s schools are very different. One of the ways is that in Italy they have different classes almost every day, 12 classes opposed to the five that we take per trimester at MCC. She adds that the teachers move in Italy, instead of the students, and they go until 2 o’clock with no lunch hour.

“I really love English, I don’t know why, but it’s been my favorite language.” She adds she wanted to come to America to see if it’s like it’s portrayed in the movies. “I didn’t exactly choose Scottville, I chose the north-east, but they chose me.”

Carolina is staying with the Chuck and Nancy Keller family, who said they decided to get an exchange student this year, since their son Kevin left for the Air Force. Their niece is the coordinator of the program, and she’s been trying to get them to do it for a few years. Their daughter Lauren, 14, adds that it’s cool having a big sister in the house, someone to girl talk with. They all think it’s been a great experience, and she’ll be staying for the full school year, which will be extended from their original 4 month commitment to the program.

Miranda Beebe is a freshman at Mason County Central. She has been contributing photographs to Mason County Press since the beginning of the school year but this is her first article.