Meet Odai Wakid, a student from Israel.
He is one of six foreign exchange students who will study at Lake Orion High School during the 2008-09 school year.
‘I live in the northern part of Israel where there is less hostility,? said Wakid. ‘My father is running for mayor of the city where I live. Our election is also in November this year. I am very proud of my father. He has been a translator for foreign dignitaries from all over the world. I hope to be just like him someday.?
Wakid knows four different languages and said coming to America has been a great way to learn better English.
‘I hope to attend Michigan State University to study English. My goal is to work as a translator at the United Nations in New York.?
Being in America during a presidential election is particularly interesting to him. ‘When I see political ad campaign commercials, I just can’t believe it. Those kinds of things don’t happen on television in my country,? said Wakid.
He said phone conversations are taped by his government.
‘Here people can say what they want on the phone and not worry too much about it. In my country, if someone says something controversial, they could wind up in jail,? said Wakid.
Barbara Kilkka, the local volunteer for YFU (Youth For Understanding International Exchange), said getting students from China is the fastest growing inbound program.
Lubai Yang comes from northeast China, a city named Shenyang, A high school sophomore, Yang is 16-years-old.
‘I wanted to come to America, mostly to improve my English,? said Yang. ‘I am really interested in outer space and hope to study engineering someday.
Yang said he is proud of his country, especially the way they hosted the summer Olympic Games this year. ‘Yes, my country took that responsibility very seriously. They did a great job.?
Learning the new block schedule at Lake Orion High School, all six students agree, is confusing. Yang said having the same schedule for two months is monotonous. ‘It is very different in China. We have different classes every day; I like that better.?
Moe Nishijima, a student from Japan, said America is very different than her country.
‘There are so many different varieties of one kind of food. For instance, if you go to the grocery store there are so many different kinds of cereal.?
Nishijima said because she plans on being a heart surgeon someday, she wanted to come to America to talk to doctors. ‘Michigan has some of the finest hospitals. I plan on speaking to my host family’s physician soon,? said Nishijiman.
Buying clothes that are less expensive is one of the things Anna Wulff, of Germany is excited about.
‘It’s so great here, there are bigger stores and because clothes don’t cost so much, I will be able to bring home all kinds of new clothes,? said Wulff.
All the students said they were particularly excited about going on vacation with their host families, seeing some of the places they have only heard about.
‘I want to see the Statue of Liberty,? said Mathias Hanssen from Norway. ‘To go to New York and actually see it would be very exciting for me.?