Sussex Tech exchange students meet students from home

What are the chances that a person would travel halfway around the world to attend a school and meet someone from his or her own home region attending the same school? Then, what are the chances the same scenario would take place twice at the same time?

Sussex Technical High School is hosting four exchange students this year. Two are from Madrid, Spain, and two are from Germany. None knew each other before coming to Sussex Tech.

Casilda Gurucharri Rodriguez and Juan Herrera Martin call Madrid home, but attend different home schools. She is very familiar with being an exchange student after studying in England last year, and her family hosted a Swedish student a few years ago. This is Juan’s first experience as an exchange student. Both agree that they thought their home schools were big until they saw Sussex Tech.

Daniel Bals and Elena Weber are from Germany. Daniel lives in Bad Vilbel, a small town near Frankfurt, and Elena’s home is in Berlin. Although they did not know each other before coming to Sussex Tech, Elena knows students in Dan’s home school. Dan was introduced to American culture when his family vacationed in Fort Myers, Fla., but he wanted a more thorough knowledge of the American way. Elena had a quick study, however, because her stay in America is only for nine weeks; she left in the middle of October.

Before adjusting to Sussex Tech, the exchange students had to first adjust to their American families. Casilda is living with the Bryan and Jamie Morgan family in Laurel. An only child, Casilda has had to adjust to sharing a bedroom in a family with three children. Juan is staying with Vincent and Catrina Hinds of Bridgeville and their two children. Life in his Madrid apartment is much different than in the large house occupied by the Hinds family. Daniel’s hosts are the family of Julie Kirby of Seaford. Dan says he misses the physical activities he shared with his sister, to whom he is very close. Elena is visiting the family of Tammy Morley, a teacher at Sussex Tech, and her husband of Milton. Because the Morley daughters are both away at college, she has taken on the role of being the only child in the house.

There are a few adjustments at Sussex Tech the students all agree about. First, it has been an adjustment for them to have all grades mixed into the same classes. According to Casilda, in Europe each grade has its separate classes. Also, teachers in Europe are superior to their students, but at Sussex Tech they are friendlier and facilitate more. “Mrs. Forcucci is awesome,” said Elena.

Juan is impressed with the Raven Nation Marching Band and is happy to be part of it as a bass drum player.

Outside of school, Dan enjoys cooking. He says his favorite food to make is semmelknoedel, a German bread dumpling similar to American stuffing. Casilda also enjoys cooking and has acquired a taste for a Sussex County delicacy - scrapple.

Before the students return to their homes, Daniel wants to visit New York City. Juan is looking forward to watching the Super Bowl football game in real time. “In Spain, we have to watch the Super Bowl at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning. My mom gets a little irritated when I cheer after a touchdown,” said Juan.

Before she left, Elena visited Busch Gardens in Virginia. The trip to the faux European theme park was a little startling for the German native. “They spelled everything wrong,” she said.

Casilda only wants to continue doing one thing while she is in America. “I want to do more shopping,” she said. “Everything is so much cheaper here.” She said $40 jeans in America cost $130 in Europe.

The four exchange students agree they want to take a lot of new clothes with them when they go back home.