French exchange student has already found a home at Morgan High

Lisa Collet is a brand new foreign exchange student. She has come to Morgan High School to study for a year before returning home to Lyon, France.

Of course, the differences between a French school and an American school are very extreme.   

“The French school system and the American school system are extremely different,” said Collet. “Before even coming to the US, I had the opportunity to pick my classes (which we don’t do in France). I had so many choices it was hard to pick which classes I would want to take, but in the end, it was amazing to get to choose amongst wide and diverse subjects!”

The SBOs held a dinner to welcome the new students to MHS. This dinner was created to help make the new students feel like they had friends at Morgan High.

“I was welcomed by the SBOs during the dinner for the new students,” Collet said. She added that they helped make her feel comfortable in a new school and in a country she did not know at the time.

Collet felt impacted by the sporting events here in America saying, “I got to meet many people at the football game that followed and everyone was so welcoming. I also discovered what school spirit looked like; with the cheerleaders, the football players and the students cheering for them and wearing school T-shirts. We don’t have any events like that in France, and school spirit is something that never existed and never will. It was great getting to see an  entire school, an entire community united in sports!”

Collet then continued her school process by meeting her teachers. She mentioned how friendly and welcoming they were. She also liked how if she didn’t understand something, she could just ask the teachers for help.

Morgan has always been known for its kind people, and Morgan High students are no different. “I love being at MHS,” Collet said. “Everyone is welcoming and nice to exchange students. They never make fun of us, but they are always willing to help if we are lost or if we need something.”

One of the hardest things about moving, especially to a new country, is finding friends. Fortunately for Collet, this was no problem. “The first week I already made some friends and many people came to speak to me because they were curious of my accent,” Collet said. “Being at MHS for me is being in one of those American movies I grew up with, with the sports, the look of the school, the colors everywhere, the lunches… I am really grateful I got to come to the U.S. and to study here because even if Morgan is a small town, people are amazing here.”

Going to a new school, in a new country, is very challenging and different. Everything you see, hear and experience will be completely new and exciting to you, she said.

“In France we don’t have a newspaper, sports match, clubs, dances. So everything is new for me and it’s so exciting to get to discover an entirely new culture through the school that welcomes you,” Collet said. “I have only been here for a week, so I don’t know much about it, but I just love that everything is a discovery for me and that I have this amazing opportunity to see how American schools are like through MHS.” λ