Bloomington High School North, Nikean, 2010, Page 9

Description:	^ASWPhoto by, any high school studentswould love the opportunity to travel to far awayplaces, to experiencesights normally onlyseen on the pages oftextbooks. Senior TessaMcConnell has had the opportunity to be a partof this experience for other students. McConnellhas hosted exchange students every year sinceshe was a freshman.Over the past three years McConnell has beeninvolved with two separate exchange studentprograms. The first was Operation Friendship.During her time involved with this program shehosted a girl from Sweden and a boy from Northern Ireland. Each of these students stayed withMcConnell for three weeks.This year McConnell hosted Mariana SperottoLaner, an exchange student from Brazil. As withany new experience a typical teenager encounters, it took McConnell and Laner awhile toadjust and to begin to understand each other.It may not be what you are used to, but everyone can adjust a little. And once you get pastthat stage, they just become a part of your family, McConnell said.Laner uses the exchange for intellectual andcultural growth.I think the most important thing when you areliving in someone elses house is to feel comfortable and I felt really comfortable with Tessa andher family since the day I got here, Laner said.It also gives both students the challenge ofadapting to being put into a special living situation.I think the world is such a huge place for usto be stuck in our little world and our own beliefsforever; there are a lot of really interesting cultures and people out there, Laner said.Laner and McConnell had many interestingexperiences together, but the most prominent experience included the Feijoada, a typical Brazilian meal that is eaten at a Brazilian event. Therewas also traditional Brazilian dance and music, aslideshow detailing the history of Brazil and a skitexplaining their culture.It was so interesting and so much fun, McConnell said.McConnells family provided the essentialssuch as food and toiletries to Laner, though ifLaner wanted to buy anything frugal, such assouvenirs, she had to purchase those herself.Laner and McConnells bond continued togrow as the two girls spent more and more timetogether.Weve never fought and weve shared somany memories and fun times together, itsimpossible to forget. I will always consider her asmy other sister, McConnell said.McConnell has learned that she cant judgesomeone whos from a different country andlives a unique lifestyle and that two people canbecome great friends even with different culturalbackgrounds.Hosting someone from another country hasgiven McConnell some worthy perspective. Shesuggests that students participate in this experience if they ever have the chance.Even though its sometimes hard to open upyour house to someone who is at that time astranger, its so worth it, McConnell said.IBy Yleena Hrmitdgeemor lessaonnesenior profile
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomnorth/id/6231
Collection:	Bloomington High School North

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