Nazarena Agudo has been in Topeka for two years as a foreign exchange student at Washburn Rural High School. She started this transition when she was 16 and a junior in high school. School-wise she said the classes are easier and there are not as many classes than she had recently attended.

She lived in Argentina for 16 years. She then wanted to come to the states so she could improve on her English and learn more about American culture. One of the things that she enjoys about being here are hamburgers, that everything is so different from her home, and she enjoys having more than one family.

Like any teenager though, she has had struggles but some of her’s have been harder than others. She often misses her family, steak, and communication is hard sometimes. She does enjoy participating in activities like going out with friends, going to dinner with her host family, going to the NIKE outlet, and going to Forever21. Nacha is very much enjoying her time here at WRHS.

Nele Mara Ellers is another one of our many foreign exchange students that has come to experience Washburn Rural High School. She came from a little town in Germany and decided to come to WRHS to start her high school experience.

She came to have more opportunities and improve her English. One of her favorite things to do is riding horses and helping train them. Some of her favorite foods are mangos and blueberries and at home are apples and strawberries.

Being a foreign exchange student, there are a couple things that she does miss such as her family, her horses and her classmates. In Germany their school system is set up in a unique way, with the kids stay in one class all day and the teachers rotate every period.

She has had a couple troubles such as finding her classes, like many of us do because the school is so big. But she said she continues to make more amazing memories and have fun. Nele is enjoying her time here at WRHS.

Bhoomika Khanna comes from Delhi, India. She decided to come to America to have more opportunities and get exposure to the culture. She loves talking to people and sharing with them things about her hometown and what things look like there.

She hasn’t had any problems here except for the language barrier. Some of the things she likes to do here are going out with her host family, studying, dancing, and going out with her host sister to do sisterly things.

There are things that she does miss about India like the beautiful clear skies and her favorite food Baw Baug which is like little tacos. One of the unique things we have compared to India is Walmart. Bhoomika is very much enjoying her time here.