GRANGER is lucky to welcome exchange students from around the world. An exchange student is someone that comes from another country to study at a college or high school and learn about different cultures. 

Tea Nytrai-Duló (11) is an exchange student from Hungary. She came to Granger in August 2022 for her junior year of high school. Her experience as an exchange student at Granger has been mostly positive. She said that being at Granger feels like an “American movie.”

Nytrai-Duló loves the diversity of Granger and how modern it is. She currently lives with her host parents and plans to return to Hungary at the end of this school year.

Blanca Garcia Baquero (10) is another exchange student at Granger. She is from Spain, and this is her first year at Granger. Like Nytrai-Duló, her experience has been mostly positive. Baquero appreciates that Granger doesn’t use uniforms. She enjoys learning about U.S. high schools. Baquero also lives with a host family and has four host siblings. 

Nytrai-Duló and Baquero share mostly positive experiences at Granger, but both can agree that not everything has been like a movie as Nytrai-Duló mentioned. One thing they both agree could be better is Granger’s food. “School food sucks,” Nytrai-Duló said.

Nytrai-Duló and Baquero also had a hard time with the adaptation process. European school schedules are different from U.S. schedules. Both students have had to learn to adjust to longer class periods.

Another challenge exchange students face is making friends. Both Nytrai-Duló and Baquero agreed that making friends is harder as an exchange student. They suggest a Granger exchange student club to provide community and support to Granger exchange students.