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Learning goes both ways for NEVC and foreign exchange students
Nevada Daily Mail
For the first time in at least seven years, North Eastern Vernon County has three foreign exchange students through the International Student Exchange learning about the Northeast Vernon County high school.
The three students, Javier Herranz-Garcia, from Madrid, Spain, Thanawan "Tina" Wigg from Khon Kaen, Thailand, and Doyoung Kim from Seoul, South Korea, said they were excited to be in Missouri for the school year because they wanted to learn about American culture and get a better understanding of English.
The new students said adjusting to Walker from larger cities was difficult, but the small community's closeness helped get them more acquainted.
"Before I got here, I was afraid. It is very different; I had to meet new people," Herranz-Garcia said. "In the city, you see new people all the time, there are loud noises, but here, no. You see the same people, for example my host dad, when he is on the road, he is always saying 'hi' to everyone."
High school principal, Chris Hudson said the school had to decline other students from coming to the school because she felt three foreign exchange students was a good number for the school's size. She was afraid any more students could have a negative affect on both the foreign exchange students and the kids at NEVC.
"We had a couple more who wanted to [come to NEVC], but we said no. It's not a good experience when you get too many [exchange students] because it separates them instead of making them part of the culture. You don't ever want to put them in a position where [they are on their own] -- no group wants to be on their own, the purpose of America is to integrate and make friends."
For the three exchange students, integration has not been hard. The communities of Walker and Schell City have fostered the students socially with sports, and friendship.
Herranz-Garcia said he played baseball earlier this fall and excitedly retold the story of how he scored a run, "I got some hits and scored a run." He said he had never played baseball in Spain, and his country "does not have even one baseball field."
"It was great," Hudson said retelling her version of Herranz-Garcia's scored run. "He hit the ball, and the kids shouted 'run, run.' Then he ran, and when he ran home, he didn't know to step on the plate, so the kids shouted, 'go back, go back, and step on the plate.' Just the fact that [the students] want you to do this or want you to succeed helps."
Kim and Wigg said they were considering playing basketball or softball, when the seasons get nearer.
Herranz-Garcia said he and his host family have gone hunting, and he really enjoyed practicing with a bow and arrow. Wigg said she was hoping to go hunting with her host brother, Clayton Bogardus a 10th grade student at NEVC. Kim said she had no interest in hunting; she said she was shocked when she saw a deer head on the wall of her host families home.
Richard Delk, host father of Kim and Herranz-Garcia said Herranz-Garcia has taken to bow hunting. Delk said he has taken Herranz-Garcia to a 3D shoot for target practice.
"He just fell in love with it." Delk said. "It's awesome; he really enjoys it."
Both Wigg and Kim said academics at NEVC are more relaxed than they were used to in Thailand and South Korea. In those countries, they both said the teachers are more instructors than friends and in America it was hard for them to get accustomed to informal, friendly conversations.
But learning has been a two-way street for the students of NEVC and the exchange students. Hudson said NEVC's students have learned about the Korean culture of Academy, an institution Kim attends after her school day is over, to prepare for higher education.
"The Academy is more important than school," Kim said. "Exams are getting harder, and the exam for college is really important. We cannot have good grades just going to school, so we go to Academy to study more."
Hudson said when the NEVC students heard about the amount of schoolwork Kim and the other students are accustomed to doing, "then all of sudden what we do here isn't all that bad," she said laughing.
Because the racial diversity in Walker and Schell City is limited, Misty Bogardus, host mother of Wigg said she was happy to see the towns opening up their community and showing interest with the new students.
"At her birthday party, I heard students wanted to try Tina's Thai food for lunch. Students are as interested in her culture as much as she is in theirs," Bogardus said. "This is a small school and a small town, you don't see that [diversity]. We of course accepted her right away, but the whole school welcomed them all in too."
The host families are doing their part to create a welcoming environment for their students. Wigg's host family threw a surprise birthday party for her 16th birthday, Wednesday. She said her family had all of her school friends and surprised her when she came home from school. "They shouted 'Surprise.' It was really fun," Wigg said. At her party, they roasted hot dogs, played games from "Minute To Win It" and ate cake.
"We really went all out Sweet 16," said Bogardus. "It's actually interesting, we fell in love with her the first night she got home. She is teaching us stuff as much as we are teaching her."
The Bogardus family has taken Wigg to Silver Dollar City, in Branson, to ride a roller coaster for the first time and took her to Stockton Lake.
"She had never been to a lake before or on a boat," Bogardus said. "She also likes to help me clean the car; she loves to vacuum. I don't really know why, maybe it's the power of the vacuum. She is a sweet young girl willing to try anything. Even when we say she doesn't have to, she tries all things we share with her."
Delk said he and his wife enjoy learning about their kids' lives in South Korea and Spain.
"Mainly, they have showed us pictures of their school and where they live. We get a pretty good kick out of them speaking in Spanish and Korean," Delk said. "We get tickled by hearing Javier and Kim speak."
The students said they are enjoying their time at NEVC and look forward to new challenges the American school year could bring. They are also pleased with how well their peers are treating them.
"Everyone here is always chill and makes me feel comfortable. I don't have to be [lonely]," Wigg said.