Fresh and Foreign Faces of EHS
September 15, 2014
Want a worldly experience without a passport? Just take a walk down the halls of Edina High School, and you can find students from all over the globe. Here is a quick look at some of the new foreign exchange students at EHS this year.
Frida Tranum Nielsen
Hailing from Denmark, EHS senior Frida Tranum Nielsen has been in the US for almost a month now, and is already loving it.
“I’ve always loved traveling so I suppose that’s why I came here. I love learning the language and the new culture, it’s so different from my own!” Nielsen said.
One challenge that Nielsen has come across in America is getting used to the time difference. She admits that her biggest struggle was getting over jet lag! Nielsen plans to stay in Minnesota until the end of June, and return sometime in the future.
So far, her favorite part of being here is simple: the yellow school buses! “I love them!” said Nielsen. “In Denmark we have only one bus in my whole town for multiple purposes.”
If you see her in the halls, give her a warm “hej” (“Hello” in Danish)!
Miyuki Sanko
After taking a short flight from her homeland of Japan, Miyuki Sanko is now officially a junior at EHS. She arrived in the US this past August, and is staying through July 2015. Her biggest adaptation to life in America has been learning the language, but is very interested in American culture.
“I chose the United States, and Minnesota just sort of worked out,” Sanko said. If you ever bump into Sanko, ask her “Ogenkidesuka”; that’s “how are you?” in Japanese!
Emma Wohlschläger
Last but certainly not least is Emma Wohlschläger, a junior from Osnabrück, Germany.
“I came to the USA because I heard many interesting, and wonderful things about this country, and it was my biggest wish to travel to this country since I was a child,” said Wohlschläger.
The EHS junior will live with a host family for the duration of the school year, and they will help her to assimilate into the new culture. “The biggest change for me is my ‘new’ family, and my new school at this time. I live in a host family with two younger sisters. My host family is wonderful, they help me very much, and I am very glad to stay with them!” Wohlschläger said.
One thing that Wohlschläger already loves about EHS is the athletics, and the student participation and excitement that surround them. “I like that sports are a big part of the school life. In Germany, sports don’t play such an important role at school,” said Wohlschläger.
Be sure to give her a nice “willkommen” (welcome) to Edina!