Roving Reporter: French students reveal thoughts on Algonquin and American lifestyle

Liah Biran, Staff Writer

May 27, 2025

French exchange student Nelly Yemonohin, senior Sarah De Oliveria, junior Liah Biran, french student Romy Nicholas, junior Laura White, french student Louise Blanchy and Madame Lauren Osepchuk pose for a photo together.

Submitted Laura White

Nelly Yemonohin

What was the biggest thing you were looking forward to?

“I was just excited to learn the culture and how things are.”

What was the biggest culture shock you faced?

“There weren’t any because I’d watched a lot of documentaries about America and life here.”

What is your favorite experience from the trip?

“Meeting my host family and taking the classes.”

What will you miss most from the trip?

“My host family.”

How was it speaking English the majority of the time?

“It was good for me to speak English. It wasn’t tiring on the contrary [and] I enjoyed it because I don’t get to practice English in France.”

How was American high school different or similar to what you thought?

“It was different because students have a lot more freedom here than in France.”

What was your favorite class to attend?

“Ceramics and Early Childhood Development.”

Romy Nicolas

What was the biggest thing you were looking forward to?

“School, seeing how it works here.”

What was the biggest culture shock you faced?

“How everything is bigger here, how students and teachers act and the flags everywhere.”

What is your favorite experience from the trip?

“New York and having Shabbat dinner.”

What will you miss most from the trip?

“All the new people that I met here.”

How was it speaking English the majority of the time?

“It was easier than I expected it to be.”

How was American high school different or similar to what you thought?

“It’s different because it’s bigger and the funding is better, how teachers teach and how the students act, the rules are different and clubs, we don’t have those in France.”

What was your favorite class to attend?

“Algebra or English.”

Louise Blanchy

What was the biggest thing you were looking forward to?

“[To] improve my English, to see how American people live, to travel and to have this experience.”

What was the biggest culture shock you faced?

“Needing to drive everywhere and how houses are organized.”

What is your favorite experience from the trip?

“My trip to Vermont with Laura and Laura’s mom to visit a college and Tower Hill’s view of Boston.”

What will you miss most from the trip?

“Laura and not being stressed in class.”

How was it speaking English the majority of the time?

“At first I was stammering, but now I feel better at it.”

How was American high school different or similar to what you thought?

“Different because you don’t use lockers, the teachers aren’t strict, the hallways are big and the food from school was good.”

What was your favorite class to attend?

“English, we did a collage and it was interesting.”

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About the Contributor

Liah Biran, Staff Writer