On the first day of school, senior Edoardo Pettigiani walked in, his first time seeing an American classroom. Upon arrival, he soon realized that American high school is very different from high school in Italy. Pettigiani arrived from his home in Turin, Italy, through the organization American Field Service (AFS).

Pettigiani finally decided to take after his uncle who had been raving about his own exchange experiences as he grew up, and thus far it has been one of the best experiences of his life.

One of the biggest differ- ences was the availability of school sports. In Italy, there were no sports offered in school. Pettigiani decided to try out for the swim team, and quickly fell in love with the sport. He has loved the opportunity of coming to America. “America is an amazing place, kind of weird sometimes,
but mostly just amazing,” Pettigiani said.

Although Italy is famed for its cuisine, Pettigiani said that if he had to pick one thing he likes most about America, it would be the Chinese food, specifically Panda Express. Italians have nothing like it.

One challenge he faces is attempting to learn

new languages through the lens of an English speaker. He is currently enrolled in two language classes, German and Spanish, and he really enjoys the challenge of learning them.

For his German teacher, Elliot Bringman, it offers a unique opportunity. “It’s interesting because I get to bring in more of a European perspective into the room, so it’s enriching for my students to understand how Germany relates to other European cultures,” Bringman said.

Social life as an exchange student can also come with some difficulties, but luckily, Pettigiani has found other exchange students to connect with. Junior Büşra Börü is on exchange from Turkey, and although the two come from different cultures, they share many things in common. “It’s definitely nice because you have a friend, and even though you didn’t know them before, you have something in common, and you understand each other’s problems and issues,” Börü said.

For now, Pettigiani’s adventure continues, as swim season draws to a close, and on June 22, his exchange will come to an end.