German exchange student learning how to adjust to American culture.

Imagine packing up everything and traveling over four thousand miles away to a foreign country, leaving your friends and past life behind. Can you picture yourself walking through the halls of a new school, filled with strange people? For sophomore Sophia Bremer, it is her reality. 

Bremmer is a transfer student from Germany. She was exhilarated about the move, and ready to meet and talk to new people. 

“I didn’t realize what was happening until we actually moved,” Bremmer said. “You can’t really imagine what it’s like, but after some time, you get used to the idea… It’s just like, ‘oh yeah, I’m moving to the U.S..’”

The transition period was difficult for Bremmer, and the weight of the journey took a while to sink in. Eventually, she adjusted. 

“You know the toilets here, like the doors? They always have this space or crack in between each stall. When I realized that those were the toilets I have to use for the next few years, I was like, ‘So this is America?’” said Bremmer.

Bremmer was shocked to find that many of the rumors and stereotypes of Americans were false, except the ones about Crumbl Cookie and Chick-fil-A. 

“People in Europe are always saying that American schools are so easy, so when I arrived, I quickly realized that’s not true… also, my friends in Germany always see videos online about Canes and Chick-fil-A,” Bremmer said. “They used to say that they would go to the U.S. just to try that stuff. I hear that a lot, especially for Crumbl Cookies. I tried them, they’re really good.”

Japanese foreign exchange student describes his introduction to the United States.

Arriving in the middle of hurricane season, junior Yosuke Kobayashi had a very stormy introduction to the United States.

Kobayashi came all the way from Japan on his personal odyssey. As one of Wando’s foreign exchange students, he hopes to experience a world very different from his own.

“I was supposed to go to Charleston Airport, but the flight was canceled due to the hurricane… so I [had] to go to Savannah, Ga., and my host mother picked me up,” Kobayashi said.

All Wando students knew about Debby, South Carolina’s first large hurricane of the year, but it certainly was not how Kobayashi imagined his arrival. After the rocky landing on US soil, he began to settle into his new life in a strange place and begin his new journey.

“I would like to experience American culture,” Kobayashi said.

The United States is a destination for many international travelers, and so is Wando High School.

“I’m so glad to come here because it is so nice… I like the atmosphere,” Kobayashi said.

Although Kobayashi had enjoyed his time in Mt. Pleasant so far, it is very different from his home.

“[Wando is] so fast. I was so surprised… it is so busy and Wando is so big, so I often get lost,” Kobayashi said.

Within the rush of Wando life, Kobayashi has a goal for his time in the USA.

“I want to play some sport… I’m interested in lacrosse because… it is not common in Japan… American sports is so large,” Kobayashi said.

Of course, sports are not the only reason to travel halfway around the world.

“I would like to broaden my bias by studying abroad, and I would like to speak English,” Kobayashi said, “because I want to reach… all over the world.”

Foreign exchange student from Madrid, Spain describes her adjustment to Wando life.

From the largest city in Spain to one of South Carolina’s largest high schools, sophomore Irene Sanz is now living and learning abroad.

“I chose [foreign exchange] because I saw… other[s] experience… so I want[ed] to do it, and I did it,” Sanz said.

In fact, spending time far from home runs in Sanz’s family.

“My dad went [to]… study abroad, and he loved it,” Sanz said.

Wando is certainly a school with a lot of opportunities, but it can also be a huge change for new students. Freshmen who have attended Mount Pleasant schools their entire lives often get overwhelmed, but switching countries on top of schools is a whole other experience.

“High school here is… I suppose it is depending on the high school, but at Wando, it’s… massive compared to my high school in Spain,” Sanz said.

With over 2,000 students, Wando is very large, but it is not just the school that is far bigger than what Sanz expected.

“The structure and the buildings are very different and the neighborhoods are… so big, every neighborhood is… bigger here… and also, it’s very different that we, teenagers, use… a lot of the public transport here. You don’t have public transport.” Sanz said.

Despite the differences, Sanz is determined to seize as many opportunities as possible while she is at Wando as well as while she is in the United States as a whole.

“I have gone to football games, I want to be… in any team, or something… sports,” Sanz said. “I just went to a meeting of the Student Council, so maybe I can be there. And also I really want to visit… new places.”

Exchange student from the Czech Republic shares her experiences about her time in the U.S.

Full-sized beds and iPhones may seem normal or ordinary to most kids in the U.S., but junior Antonie Peterková finds them astounding.

Inspired by a previous exchange student in her class from Switzerland, Peterková jumped at the chance to spend a year alongside the salty shores of South Carolina. She was initially scared but quickly grew accustomed to the new atmosphere she found herself in, especially the beautiful beaches and wildlife.

Peterková was glad to find that the other students at Wando were welcoming towards her, despite her consternation.

“My biggest fear was my language. I was scared that people would…laugh at me because of my accent and the mistakes I make. But nobody did,” Peterková said.

There were a plethora of dissimilarities that left Peterková dumbfounded and stunned, things that many Americans find customary.

“Everything was so huge. I have my own room and the bed is like three times bigger than my old one. And I had to borrow a phone from my host family because my old one would not take an American SIM card… I didn’t know how to use it,” Peterková said. “We tried to [set] up the face ID which was so fun, but I got really confused.” 

Peterková highlighted that one of her favorite things so far about living in South Carolina has been all of the fascinating creatures and the breathtaking beaches.

“I love being so close to the ocean, because I was in the middle of Europe, and now [I] live right next to the Wando River,” Peterková said.“I like the animals here too. We have crabs in our backyard and I catch them sometimes…is there even something I don’t like?”