Visiting an unknown foreign country with your family might sound like a great vacation, but imagine if instead of a vacation, you spend a whole year in an unfamiliar country, completely submersing yourself in a different culture! Sophomore Patricia Ruiz Teruel, originally from Spain, is one of the multiple exchange students visiting Brookfield Central. When her English teacher in Gijón, Spain recommended that some of his students convince their parents about doing a full academic year in the United States, Patricia did so right away. “I talked to my parents, they were like, ‘Well, if you want to do it… let’s do it,’” said Patricia. “So, I talked to my English teacher, and he recommended me a company – which actually was the company that he used when he came to the US when he was my age.” Patricia wrote letters and found some pictures to put on a website in search for a new “family.” Ever since she got here, she has fully enjoyed every moment with the McCullough family.
Since she just arrived around three weeks ago, she hasn’t had a full experience of Brookfield yet. However, she spotted all of the differences between Spain and the US right away.
“A difference that I noticed are the subjects in school, because here you can choose more specific subjects that you want to take – but in Spain, the subjects are more general,” she claimed. “Also, in Wisconsin and probably the whole US, there are US flags everywhere! In Spain, there aren’t too many Spanish flags.” She remembers being in the backseat of the car of her host sister, Alice McCullough (‘19). She claims that in Spain, driving at sixteen years old is not allowed; therefore she will never forget that experience. The thrill of the BC vs. BE football game, the experience of meeting new people, and the difference in culture are only some of the reasons why she would definitely come back in the future.
“Absolutely, I would come back! I feel like in one year I can connect very well with my host family and host sister. Alice is such a good girl and always helping me if I have problems – so obviously, I want to keep in touch with her and the whole family.” Patricia explained.
Hopefully, she can immerse herself in the American culture during her stay. Best of luck, Patricia!