TOWAMENCIN – When school began this past September, four unique students joined the North Penn High School student body.  What makes these students unique is where they are from.  Every year, North Penn hosts exchange students from our sister schools in Toulouse, France; Aalen, Germany; and Salzgitter, Germany.  This year we are pleased to say that North Penn High School has also found a sister school in Madrid, Spain as well.  Hadrien Guichard (Toulouse), Tobias Damrat (Aalen), Svenja Johannessen (Salzgitter), and Carmen Guerrero (Spain) have all flown thousands of miles to spend the year at North Penn.

While at North Penn, they are treated as seniors.  They will get their pictures in the senior section of the Accolade, be allowed to come to Senior Prom, and join all seniors at graduation.

Upon arrival to the United States, the exchange students experienced the torrential rains of a hurricane, an earthquake, and the unusual wintry weather of Snowtober!  Needless to say, they have all been enjoying their time in the U.S. and at North Penn.  Both Tobias and Hadrien were members of the North Penn Cross Country Team.  Tobias plays soccer though Montgomery United Soccer Club and plans on participating in Winter and Spring Track as well.  Both Svenja and Tobias have joined the German Club, while Carmen is interested in the Ski and Snowboard Club.  All exchange students are actively involved in the International Friendship Club, giving presentations and answering questions. 

When asked about how he is adjusting to the states’ Hadrien said, “ I think the biggest change is not being able to go everywhere myself.” 

Unlike many European countries, Lansdale does not have easy access to public transportation and the exchange students have noticed the difference.  While Svenja has commented on the lack of sidewalks she and Tobias agree that the biggest difference is the food. 

The four are enjoying school as well. “The high school is just awesome!” said Svenja, and the other exchange students agree. 

“The school is a lot different than my school is Germany”, said Tobias, “but I really like it here.  The people are really nice over here and the classes are fun.” 

Carmen has definitely noticed the differences between North Penn and her school as well: “I have around 150 people in my year and here there are almost a thousand!! Another big difference is that here there are no breaks; at home we have a half an hour break between periods three and four and we have a lot more time at lunch to hang around with your friends. I love it here in America”, said Carmen “I’m having a great time and I’m very lucky to have an amazing host family and I already have a lot of friends so I hope to have a great experience this year here in North Penn.”

Being an exchange student is no easy feat.  Hadrien, Tobias, Svenja, and Carmen will all stay the full school year at North Penn without visits from their families.  Though their English is quite good, there will be a language barrier that might prove difficult.  To fully understand the exchange students’ situation, I interviewed Nicollette Vandenplaus.  Nicollete is now a senior at North Penn.  During her junior year, she was one of four North Penn students who went abroad to for their entire year.  Nicollette traveled to Pontalier, France to learn the language, experience the culture, and develop a greater understanding of the world on a global scale.

“Being in a foreign country opened up my mind to a lot of new things”, she said, “and that’s probably what I like the most. No longer can people tell me that I haven’t seen any of the world outside of the US.”

Unlike the exchange students, who have been learning English from a very young age, students in the North Penn School District can choose to learn a foreign language beginning in the eighth grade.   The language barrier posed quite a problem.

“The most difficult part of the adjustment had to be – very obviously, the language. Despite my three years of French I was hardly prepared to actually speak it and write it every day. Communication was difficult for quite a while”, Nicollette said.

And, for Nicollette, returning to North Penn was just as difficult.

“Absolutely anything and everything was difficult when it came to being once more at NPHS. Etiquette was different, language was different, schedules, everything. It was hard – and it still is”, she said.

Nicollette expressed great enthusiasm when she discussed what an influence her year abroad had on her: “My trip changed me in ways I cannot possibly describe, but I know I am a better, more compassionate person for it.”

We wish Hadrien, Tobias, Svenja, and Carmen the best of luck, keeping our fingers crossed that they have a wonderful time in America and a wonderful experience at North Penn.