Imagine packing up your bags and moving almost 5,000 miles away from everything you have known. Junior Francesca Marostegan did just that. Signing up to become a foreign exchange student meant that Marostegan would leave her family, friends, culture, and country for an entire year.

Marostegan came from Milan, Italy. She lives with her parents and 14-year-old sister. Now she stays in Minnesota with her host family whose children no longer live at home. This changed things for her, going from living in a louder house to a much quieter household.

Although Minnesota may have many differences, she loves it here. “I love America, and I love American high school so I wanted to leave for one year to experience how America works,” said Marostegan.

School life for Marostegan is very different in America. “Mounds View has many more opportunities, clubs, sports, and school events,” said Marostegan. 

They did not have sports at Marostegan’s old school, so she really enjoyed Mounds View’s football games. “I love football games. I don’t understand anything about football, but it’s so fun that you’re there with all your friends,” said Marostegan.

Marostegan participated in Mounds View Girls Swim & Dive before the season ended. Although Marostegan lives in a place where it never snows, she intends to join the Mounds View Nordic Ski Team despite having no prior experience.

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”31″ display=”basic_slideshow”]Photos courtesy of Francesca Marostegan

Her old school is comprised of around 700 students, while Mounds View has about 2,400 students. The substantial size difference between Mounds View and her old school made it challenging for Marostegan to find her way around in the beginning. However, she was not surprised by the size of the school. “I think here everything is big like food sizes, the cars, and the malls, especially the Mall of America,” said Marostegan. 

Marostegans loves many things about America, but she isn’t fond of the food. “I don’t like the food here. I miss Italian food,” said Marostegan. She was disappointed over the school lunch because she looked forward to having lunch at school. Her old school did not have lunch since it ended so early. At Mounds View, school goes from 8:35 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., while the school day runs from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Italy.

Italian schools have a much different dynamic than American schools. Despite the shorter school days in Italy, Marostegan spends many hours at home studying for numerous tests and working on homework. Marostegan prefers Mounds View, not only because of considerably less homework but also because of the friendly teachers and the way they conduct their classes. She appreciates having the opportunity to work with other students and talk to the teachers. “I prefer this school because you have less homework, and you can talk to your teacher and the other students in your class,” said Marostegan 

Marostegan is enjoying her new lifestyle and is looking forward to new experiences with her friends in the near future.