A long way from home

Jordan foreign exchange student adjusts to new lifestyle

ADAM RUSH met at the beginning of the school year, they quickly bondhead copy editor | @adamrush01 ed. However, this did not cause them to remain isolated from the other students in the school. Despite coming from

With his mind racing and heart pounding, 15-year- cultures that are wildly di erent from life in the United old Basel Heyari arrives at the building that States, Apolinarski believes the unique experiences excould change his life forever. When he walks change students have do not create a barrier between in, he has a series of important choices to make. His first? them and other students. Elevator or stairs. Knowing that he is too energetic to stand “I feel like [Basil] could get along with everyone, as he is still for even a second, Heyari goes up the stairs to allow really friendly and open-minded,” Apolinarski said. “I think it himself time to calm down. It doesn’t work. A few minutes doesn’t really matter where you’re from. Each country gives later, he sits down for the biggest interview of his life. you a di erent perspective because culture di ers a lot, Soon after, he learns that out of 2,000 applicants, he even if countries are direct neighbors.” was one of only 34 accepted as foreign exchange While English teacher Kimberly Durbin has taught students to the United States through the Youth many foreign exchange students during her 18 Exchange and Study Program. Heyari, now 16 and a junior, had lived in Jordan all his life until winning a competitive scholarship that would eventually lead him to Ladue High School. When he first left Jordan, Heyari’s understanding of American culture had only come from television and movies. So when he accepted the scholarship, he had L a r t b y J I L G O L D W A S S E R years at Ladue, Heyari is the first to come from Jordan. She feels that his experiences allow him to draw intriguing parallels in his work and bring a distinct perspective to the classroom on a daily basis. “I always love when exchange students or ESL students are open and willing to share experiences,” Durbin said. “[I only one word to describe what he believed American think] it makes Basel feel more comfortable in the classschools were like: “hell.” room to share some of his experiences.”

“Every high school movie showed me that there was The day before his 13-hour flight to America, Heyari felt a going to be bullying and putting people in lockers,” Heyari strange sense of guilt for leaving Jordan. As his mother said said. “I was actually pretty nervous, but [everyone at Ladue] goodbye and began to tear up, he was overwhelmed with is really nice and really friendly.” sadness. Now, while Heyari does stay in close contact with

Missouri is about two times the size of the entire nation his family, he is glad he made the choice to come stateside. of Jordan. Heyari is overjoyed to be somewhere so di erent “Jordan has always been in my heart, [and] I’ll always miss from where he has lived all his life. it,” Heyari said. “But it’s not like I feel homesick because I’m

“I got a chance to know new and di erent cultures,” enjoying myself here.” Heyari said. “One of the mantras the exchange students had was that something new isn’t necessarily good or bad, just di erent. I [got to] take the initiative and take each and every single opportunity I had.”

Similarly to Heyari, senior Anna Apolinarski, an exchange student from Germany, also had to take her time before she fully acclimated to life in America. When she and Heyari