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ADAM & GIULIA
The Murray County Central high school community is privileged to welcome two European students this school year to learn and grow and share their culture. Giulia Scharm and Adam Grimmer arrived several weeks ago and are settling into a rewarding and enriching experience.
Giulia has joined the senior class and is hosted by Shannon and Tim Rhodes. Giulia is from a medium-size city in Switzerland, where she lives with her parents, a dog and a cat. You may have seen her cheering with the football cheerleaders this year, and she hopes to participate in other activities and perhaps track this spring. At home, Giulia plays piano and dances ballet. In the summer time she loves to swim at the lake and in the winter she enjoys snowboarding. Though there are no mountains in Minnesota, there are a few similarities. “The cows, green grass and the weather remind me of home,” she said. “And everyone here is friendly and seems to know everyone else. My home is like that too.” Many other aspects are quite different however. “The school system is very different, and so are the houses, food and shops. But the church here is more open....people are happy here.” This trip isn’t Guilia’s first visit to the United States, but it is the first time in the midwest. “I’ve been to Florida and California with my family on holidays. I loved those trips,” she exclaimed. When a friend had a positive experience on her own year as an exchange student, ball games and perhaps skiing in Minnesota or maybe a trip to the mountains. For now, she is embracing each new day.
Adam Grimmer is from Essen, Germany and is a student in the junior class at MCC. At home he lives with his mother and father, and in Slayton he is hosted by Lisa and Marty Wieskus. Adam is an avid tennis player, a sport he has enjoyed since he was four years old. “My mom is a very good tennis player - she usually beats me,” he explained. He also likes to hang out with friends, play video games and work on cars. Adam plans to join the basketball team at MCC. Like Guilia, Adam’s home landscape is similar to southwest Minnesota, but transportation is very different. “We use public transport all the time, and there are cattle in the fields but no crops. It’s mostly cities and forests at my home.” His school schedule in Germany is very different too, with no long lunch break but two 20-minute breaks and the opportunity to eat lunch off campus. Adam was very anxious to visit the United States as he is planning for a career as an air traffic controller. He speaks four languages but stated, “The time here in the U.S. will improve my chances in air traffic control.” This year he is looking forward to learning more American history, more about our culture and gaining personal independence. “I am ready to prepare for life as an adult,” he remarked. At school, he is especially enjoying classes in woodworking and in the shop. “We don’t have those classes in Germany,” he said.
Our exchange students are here to learn but our students learn from them too. We are thankful for the families that welcome these students into their homes and look forward to a great school year together!
