As the school year starts to wind down, the foreign exchange students are looking back on their experiences during their year in America. This year, families in Baldwin hosted five exchange students: Lucas Boehme and Miriam Conath from Germany, Linna Fredstrom from Sweden, Ira Soy from Turkmenistan and Gabriela Antunes from Brazil.

These students were involved in a variety of activities at BHS and they all feel that having the chance to get involved was one of the highlights of spending a year in America.

“I liked doing activities that are connected to the school like sports and clubs,” Fredstrom said. “We don’t have that in Sweden.”

Being in sports has been one of Soy’s favorite things to do.

“I loved having support from my teammates and having a good time,” Soy said.

Life in America has no doubt been different for them. They have all had things they have had to get used to and were pleasantly surprised by some of the things they have experienced.

“Before I came here, my stereotype of Americans was a fat guy going to McDonalds in boots carrying a rifle,” Boehme joked. “I was glad to find out that this is not true.”

For Antunes, the shopping was one of her favorite things about America.

“Everything is cheap and nice and pretty here,” Antunes said.

All of this year’s exchange students have enjoyed their year and are both happy and sad to be going back home over the summer.

“It’ll be sad because I made friends here, but of course I’m excited to see all of my friends in Germany,” Conath said.

Fredstrom feels the same way about returning home.

“I went into it knowing that I would have to leave, but it’ll still be really weird,” Fredstrom said.