Once Greenwood students hear that another exchange student is being welcomed into our school, excitement beams throughout the building. Everyone is excited to get to meet these new kids and develop unique relationships with them. Since becoming an exchange student sounds like it can sometimes be an overwhelming experience, it has been nice to see that exchange students have been able to fit in so well with Greenwood students.
This school year, Greenwood has been blessed with two incredible exchange students. As you will soon find out, both of these students are enjoying their time here and looking forward to what is to come. From the differences in culture, these two individuals have quickly learned the American way. Now for the time that you have been waiting for . . . introducing Anna Amosso and Cassian Neeb!
Anna Amosso
Anna is a senior from Italy who is thoroughly enjoying her time here. Her host family is the Morelands, and they are extremely supportive of her. Her hobbies include sports, drawing, listening to music, and hanging out with friends. In her time here, she has been active in the Renaissance Club, Quiz Bowl, and the basketball season that is about to begin.
What are your thoughts on Greenwood to this point? Do you like it here?
I think Greenwood is a great school. In my life, I’ve always had problems meeting people and making friends, but I’ve never had to worry about it since I've been here. Almost everyone is kind and friendly, and I made some friends. I really like the teachers here and the relationships they have with the students. I like how they're always ready to help you if you have any problem or if you don't understand something. That's actually a big difference with the relationship between students and teachers in Italy. When we're in Italy, we don't really talk with our teachers, and I think it's a shame because you don't really feel a bond with them. Another thing I really like is the fact that you do activities for the school and for the school spirit. I really loved the pep rally, and I also loved helping to organize that. One thing different is also the fact that we don't have dances, so I really liked attending the homecoming dance and all the things we did before that, like the ceremony and the game.
Where are you from?
I am from northwest Italy, and the nearest big town is Turin. I always lived there, and that's where I have almost my whole family. I also have some relatives in France since my grandmother is French.
What has been different here than from your school in Italy?
Greenwood is really different from my school in Italy. The main difference is the fact we only go to school to study so we don't have free periods like study halls or sports activities that are related to school. As I already said, we don't really talk with teachers, so that's a big difference. Another thing is the fact we don't have the same classes every day. We do have a total amount of hours from each subject, and that is divided into the five days we go to school. Another really big difference is the fact we don't move at all. Instead, have a stable class with the same people every day, and teachers change rooms. Sports are also not a school-related thing, as I said, so we have to find a club and actually pay for it. Finally, we don't have a counselor, and we don't have to pledge allegiance to the flag every morning.
What has been your favorite part about Greenwood so far?
My favourite thing about Greenwood is actually the whole new thing. I can't decide just a single thing I like about the school.
What made you interested in becoming an exchange student?
I have always been a person that loves new experiences, and my mum always taught me to love traveling and discovering new things. In Italy, I also study Spanish, and I know a total of four languages. I always knew that my whole life wouldn't be in a single place. After the first lockdown, in which I had a really hard time, I decided to see and collect information about the exchange experience. I applied for it in June 2020 with STS. In October, my agency went into a bad economic situation, so I had to change that. I decided to come with school and vacation that has an American partner, ICES, which is my agency now. I wasn't actually expecting such a great family to host me, and being with them has only been a lucky coincidence since I didn't even decide on the state before coming.
What are you most looking forward to with the rest of the time that you are here?
I'm looking forward to spending the time I'll be here doing everything I can to make this year memorable. And I want to spend a lot of time with my friends.
Cassian Neeb
Cassian is a sophomore from Germany who loves the idea of living in different cultures. He is sided with his host family, the Cleggs. Some of the extracurricular activities that Cassian will be involved with are backstage work in the musical and track this upcoming spring. A fun fact about him is that he likes to build and develop his own drones to fly.
What are your thoughts on Greenwood to this point? Do you like it here?
My thoughts about Greenwood are amazing. I think Greenwood is a great school, it has a fantastic atmosphere, and one of the reasons is the teachers and students. All the people at Greenwood are so very friendly, and they help each other. And the best part about Greenwood is that it gives me the feeling that I’m accepted as a new student. And something that I think is also a very cool idea, and this was new to me, is Wildcat Wednesday.
Where are you from?
I’m from Germany, near Frankfurt, which is between the middle and south of Germany.
What has been different here than from your school in Germany?
A very big difference is the people because, even though I’m new, I got accepted really quickly and people are friendly almost every time. In terms of Germany, where the people can be friendly too, but you have to get a friendship with the people so that you get really accepted. And the teachers are less personal than in America. Here, the teachers are sometimes personal, and you can have a real conversation about other things than school. And this is something that you barely have in Germany. Another thing that is very different is the school system itself. In America, you write a lot more tests and quizzes than in Germany. In Germany, you write 2 tests in every subject in one semester, and in America, you write almost every 2nd or 3rd day a quiz or test.
What has been your favorite part about Greenwood so far?
My favourite part about Greenwood is again the students and teachers. What I really like about both is the support. The students, as well as the teachers, support each other in games or in the normal school day, which I think is very amazing.
What made you interested in becoming an exchange student?
One thing that a lot of people would also say is to improve my language. English is a language that is spoken more and more in the world, and I think it’s good to know this language and to speak this language fluently. Another reason why I decided to make an exchange year is the cultural exchange. I really like to learn about a new culture and to see what is different from my culture. The final reason is to develop more friendships. I think it is very cool to have friends in other countries. This gives me the opportunity to switch between lives and cultures.
What are you most looking forward to with the rest of the time that you are here?
I’m looking forward to just having a nice and fun time, getting to know more people, and making more friends. I’m also looking forward to different festivals like Thanksgiving because this is something completely new to me. The biggest thing over all of this: getting as many experiences and “adventures” as possible.
As you can tell, Greenwood High School has two very special students that have joined us this year. Both of them are enjoying their time here and look forward to the rest of the year. These life-changing experiences for the two of them all come at the hands of Greenwood. Noticing how supportive the school has been toward these students is incredible. With this, it is exciting to see how this experience will continue to positively impact the school as well as these individuals!