Lena-Sophie Klammer, better known as Lena, comes to Indiana from Tyrol, Austria. From the baffling amount of fast-food to her newfound community, Lena has had a lot of new experiences as a foreign exchange student. Unfortunately, she leaves in January because of her knee injury, but she intends to make the most of her time here and take all of the opportunities that come her way.
Before making her journey to New Castle, Lena’s school taught her all about “culture shocks” she might face in America. A “culture shock” is when somebody is disoriented after being introduced to unfamiliar customs. Lena admits that while the transition was different, it turned out to be a lot easier than expected. However, there were some things that did, in fact, shock her. She laughs that she had “never seen so many fast food places in one place” when driving down State Road 3. At home, they have McDonald’s, Burger King, and one Subway so New Castle’s selection was a shock to her. Another difference from her home life was how connected everybody is in New Castle. In Austria, she says, “you could walk by people and they would not even look up.” She appreciates the small town charm of New Castle and how everybody is so open to each other.
Lena’s goal for becoming a foreign exchange student was to experience everything she possibly could. With her goal in mind, she participated in the fall musical (Willy Wonka) and she was on the girls’ soccer team. She has done soccer since she was six-years-old which led to her decision to join the team at New Castle. The drama club was not as big of a deal at her school so she enjoyed being a part of the talented cast. She also takes part in the Christian youth group, Young Life, and has met so many new friends.
Lena loves Indiana but she mentions that school looks a little different back in Tyrol. At home, the work is a lot more rigorous than what NCHS provides. She has to study a lot more for the longer, harder tests. Overall, Lena believes that her home school “expects a lot more” from its students. The transition to a new school was the hardest for her because of how different the curriculum is.
As one can expect, Austria is a lot different than Indiana. Lena relates that she misses some of the foods, including pretzels, but she especially misses the water. According to her, the tap and bottled water in New Castle both “taste and smell like chlorine.” She also notes that Austrians eat healthier than Americans, hence the lack of fast food. Lena tried the popular Austrian dish Wiener-schnitzel in Indiana saying that “it was not the same.” Despite her homesickness and lack of pretzels, Lena will miss New Castle because it has become a home for her.
Imagine flying across the globe and entering a brand new, unfamiliar world. Lena met this fear right before she boarded the plane headed for America and thought to herself, “what am I doing?” It hit her then just how scary it is to move alone to the other side of the world without knowing anybody. However, Lena believes that it has helped her “grow a lot as a person” and she recommends being an exchange student. New Castle High School will miss her deeply, but wishes her the best for her future and hope she gorges herself on all the Austrian Wiener-schnitzel she can hold. Thank you, Lena, for making our school brighter. You will always be welcome as a Trojan!
