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Student from China reflects on his time spent in Poland
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Neighbors | Submitted.Foreign exchange student Nathan Wang will be returning to his classroom in Jiaxiang, China after spending the school year in Poland. During his visit, Wang stayed with Timothy Wood and Christina Roussos.
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Nathan Wang
By EMILY GIANETTI
Starting at a new school can be difficult. However, not many people have to start at a new school that is not only in a new city, but also in a new continent, using mainly their second language and living with a family they are just getting to know.
Nathan Wang knows what this feels like. The 17-year-old arrived from China in August 2010 and has spent the past academic year living with Timothy Wood and Christina Roussos of Poland and experiencing American life for the first time.
Wang is a native of Chengdu, a bustling economic and transportation center and the capital of Sichuan province. While studying at boarding school Jiaxiang, he found the opportunity to come to the United States through the program Academic Year in America.
Soon after, Wood and Roussos found out about Wang. Their church had been contacted by the exchange student program, and once Wood and Roussos heard that Wang needed a place to stay until a host family could be found, they jumped at the chance.
After many meetings with the regional director of the program and a talk with Wang over the Internet, the two finally met their guest in person at a Pittsburgh airport.
“I was thinking about how I was going to deal with everything,” said Wang of his thoughts during that time, “I was really nervous on the airplane and at the airport because my English wasn’t too good.”
His first few weeks in America were made easier by the connection he established with his host family over those weeks. After a while, Roussos recalled, “We never could have sent him to another state.”
Thankfully, they didn’t have to. It was decided that Wang would stay with Roussos and Wood for the duration of his time in America.
“We truly believe it was something that was meant to be,” said Roussos.
In the meantime, September came and classes began for Wang. In an experience he called “overwhelming,” he attended his first day of American school, complete with locker troubles and all.
He admitted that American schools are radically different than those in China. Students at Jiaxiang often have to work until 10 p.m. Stricter discipline is enforced and students do not have much time for non-academic activities.
“Even the students who go to public school go home in the afternoon, but they still have to come back to school for study hour,” said Wang.
In American schools, he had a lot of free time, which was spent studying English or with new friends.
“If my mother taught me English, school would be much easier. I still have to continue learning it,” Wang said.
As the year went on, he felt as though his English improved. He made many friends that he is sure will stay in touch and said he will miss the people here, mostly just because he is a “human being.”
Wang has already decided that when he gets back to China, studying English will be first up on his list, along with seeing his friends. As for what he will say about America, he will tell everyone that “American people are really nice.”
“It was very valuable (the experience) and it was great. I think people should travel just to see more, to see what’s out there,” said Wang.
“You really get to see how much people are alike rather than different. It’s just an enriching experience,” said Roussos.
Wang returns to China on June 16.