Leaving their friends, families, and normal lives at home, five students traveled across the world to experience new life in America. Lill Johansen, from Norway, Mariami Kobezashvili, traveling from Georgia, Kim Massman who is coming from Germany, Sophie Robertson is from New Zealand and Debby Paredes is traveling from Ecuador.

Each student is staying with a ‘host family’ in Baldwin City.

Johansen is adjusting well to the new city while staying with the Berndt family.

“My host family is the best,” Johansen said. “They’re like a family #2, couldn’t have asked for a better one.”

When Johansen first arrived in Baldwin, she could not believe the size of the high school.

“The school was huge, and that I would get lost during the first week,” Johansen said. “I’m used to it now, though.”

Kobezashvili is living with the McKinney family. Her siblings, senior Sierra and freshman, Samantha, are attending school with Kobezashvili.

“My host family is the best, It is very helpful for me to have them in school with me,” Kobezashvili said. “They help me when I need them.”

In Georgia, the school system is completely different than BHS.

“Yes, it is very different. In my country, school is very small and it isn’t high quality,” Kobezashvili said. “In my country, I can’t choose subjects or change, also I don’t have lunch.”

Not only is the schooling different in Georgia but also in New Zealand.

“I went to a school with 1,200 girls, there were no boys,” Robertson said. “There’s definitely not as much social activities like dances and sports games at my school back home. And there’s also no football or cheerleaders or band.”

Massmann is being hosted by the Markleys and she feels very fortunate to be able to live with them.

“I couldn’t be luckier,” Massmann said. “I fit in perfectly with my family and love them so much.”

Robertson is staying with the Adamsons and thinks of them as a second family now.

“My host family is amazing,” Robertson said. “It’s really easy to talk to them and we have a lot of fun.”

Paredes is living with the Baileys.

“My sister is sweet and my mom, too,” Paredes said. “My dad is funny and my brother, too. I’m very lucky to have that family.”

BHS counselor Autumn Weiss, thinks that having the exchange students at school are very beneficial for both the exchange students and BHS students.

“I think it opens up opportunities for the students,” Weiss said. “They get to experience things that most students do not get to experience. Also, the students here at Baldwin learn new things about other countries that they had no idea about.”