Have you ever wondered what it would be like to pack up and leave everything you know— your home, language, school and family— to explore a new country for a whole year? Five students at Olathe West made the decision to make it a reality this year by becoming foreign exchange students at West.

One of these students, senior Nina Roberty, hailing from Belgium, has always wanted to experience American culture. 

“It was my dream to come to America. I wanted to go at school because it’s really not the same experience as it is in Belgium. Here you have a lot more. You have a lot of different sports and activities,” Roberty said.

Roberty, who is already involved in the theater program at West, also noticed differences at school when it came to academic opportunities.

“In Belgium, it’s very general. It’s just math, English, French, geography, history— and here you have so many more options,” Roberty said. 

Italian exchange student Mattia De Vitali was inspired to come to Olathe West by the same desire to experience a new culture. 

“I’ve always loved the American school system, and I wanted to experience American high school life,” De Vitali said.

Like Roberty, De Vitalli noticed big differences in how American schools run. 

“The classes here are definitely more hands-on,”  De Vitalli said. “We learn, of course, but not as much by books, which we do a lot of in Italy.”  

Since starting school, De Vitali has joined the newspaper staff and is serving as the girls’ volleyball team manager. 

Finnish student Milla Partanen has also begun exploring activities outside the classroom. While she’s still deciding which extracurriculars she wants to commit to, she’s already developed a strong interest in the art classes offered at West.

Beyond academics, what’s stood out most to Partanen is the sense of community she has experienced at West.

“There is definitely more school spirit, and school-organized events, and sports. We don’t have any of that in Finland, so people are together more here,” Partanen said.