Ever wondered about the foreign exchange students that have come to Los Banos High School?

Lots of kids from all around the world have joined programs to be foreign exchange students in a different country, but Los Banos is very lucky to be a school kids from around the world can come to.

One exchange student who comes to LBHS is Lilly Salge, a junior who is from Germany.  She joined the program because she loves to travel and when she heard of the opportunity to go on an exchange year, she knew that is what she wanted to do.  Lilly also said she really likes to live here and enjoys all the people she got to meet.

Lilly said, “One of my favorite memories are the late night drives with my friends and hanging out with my hosts little brother.”

Some words of encouragement Lilly has to any students thinking about joining the program to become a foreign exchange student is, “It can be really scary leaving your family for a year, but it will give you memories that last a lifetime, and you grow from it.”

Giulia Bellis, a senior is from Italy. She joined the program because she wanted to improve her English, discover new places, and learn about a different culture which she said is really different than hers. Giulia says Los Banos is a lot different than the town she grew up in, but she really likes it here but she says she loves all her classes and she was able to make lots of friends and teachers that are always willing to give her a helping hand.

Laura says Los Banos is a lot different from France but that is what she likes about it. She said, “I think we have good school spirit and LB always has good ideas and activities.”

Giulia said, “Being an exchange student is definitely not easy and it’s probably one of the hardest things I had to do in my life, but it’s also one of the best decisions I could ever make. There are going to be a lot of moments when you’re going to miss your family and friends, but I can promise you that it’s all worth it in the end!”

Laura Dupuch, a senior and who is from France said she joined the program because she visited California when she was younger with her family and since then, it was her dream to come back as teenager and discover high school life here. Laura’s words of encouragement to any kids thinking about becoming a foreign exchange student was, “Don’t be scared to be out of your comfort zone; it’s the best experience and decision that I took in my life. It’s hard at the beginning, but it’s all worth it.”