Quick tempo. Ov
Quick tempo. Overseas intrigue. Iconic locations. Unique meals.
If that sounds just like the recipe for an action-adventure story, in a means it’s. However these are simply a number of the parts that made up the final 9 months for 2 overseas alternate college students who spent their junior yr attending courses at Lufkin Excessive College.
Francesco Lodolini, of Sondrio, Italy, and Hugo De Grieve, of Castres, France, moved into the Lufkin residence of Pat Harrison, an area consultant of the ASSE-Worldwide Scholar Alternate Applications, for the 2020-21 faculty yr.
Harrison had beforehand hosted overseas alternate college students who attended faculty in Central, the place he taught, up till this yr.
“4 or 5 years in the past, at Central, we had one alternate scholar from Spain that I bought to know and I simply thought I’d take pleasure in doing that, so I contacted the group and gave it a strive. I began with two college students three years in the past — truly, I had three that yr as a result of one solely did a semester,” Harrison mentioned.
“So principally that was it — the child from Spain simply type of impressed me and I assumed I might try this and create a great environment and allow them to have a great expertise.”
Francesco and Hugo have had greater than that, as Francesco has hopes of returning after commencement to attend faculty in California, the place he goals of finally pursuing an appearing profession, whereas Hugo additionally desires to dwell within the U.S. after finishing his highschool research.
“I believe Texas,” he mentioned with a smile. “I really like Texas. I can have a gun, a giant truck … ”
The kids haven’t had any weapons right here simply but, nevertheless, as they aren’t allowed to hunt or shoot them, Harrison mentioned. And whereas they’ve been fishing, it was two completely different sports activities that bought them hooked at LHS.
Francesco was a member of Sterling Meyers’ junior varsity soccer workforce that received district, whereas Hugo thrived beneath coach Hunter Russell as a member of the JV cross nation workforce.
“I need to do that,” Hugo mentioned of cross nation, displaying off an array of medals he received whereas competing for the Panthers.
The 2 say sports activities are a lot completely different in Europe.
“We begin faculty at like 7:40 a.m., performed at four p.m.,” Hugo mentioned. “On a regular basis we’re going to class — no sports activities, no nothing.”
As an alternative, there are after-school golf equipment for individuals who are concerned in sports activities, with possibly “50 folks — that’s it,” Hugo mentioned.
And Francesco famous how completely different American soccer video games are than the soccer — or fútbol — video games in Europe.
“I actually like soccer and it’s very completely different from soccer as a result of in soccer there’s no music happening. Whereas soccer right here is principally a present,” he mentioned of the spectacle Individuals — and Texans specifically — are so accustomed to.
In fact, life in Texas has proven the 2 one shock after one other from the minute they arrived.
“Once I got here right here, I assumed there was a desert,” Francesco mentioned, “so I wasn’t anticipating all of the timber and stuff.”
“And all of the issues are very massive,” Hugo mentioned, itemizing the vehicles, the streets and Houston as examples.
However after a quick interval of homesickness, the 2 tailored shortly to life at LHS, the place Hugo has loved engineering whereas Francesco has taken a shine to robotics, each taught by Juan Carlos Aguilar. The kids have performed effectively sufficient of their research that each had been inducted into the Nationwide Honor Society.
Harrison praised LHS counselor Angela Roberts for serving to them with scheduling and “any points we had.”
“She was simply unbelievable,” he mentioned.
The kids even have had some bucket-list experiences throughout their time within the U.S., as Harrison likes to take his overseas alternate college students on journeys to see issues across the state. However for higher or worse, the pandemic affected a few of these plans.
“This yr has been more difficult due to COVID,” he mentioned. “I normally take them to the Capitol however it’s been closed — you haven’t been capable of go this yr.”
In 2019, Harrison was capable of take a unique group of overseas alternate college students to a World Sequence recreation in Houston. However the pandemic allowed Francesco and Hugo to attend a sporting occasion they probably wouldn’t have been capable of in any other case. With the Rose Bowl relocated to Arlington this yr, they had been within the stands at AT&T Stadium for Alabama’s 31-14 win over Notre Dame that despatched the Crimson Tide to the nationwide championship.
And the travels didn’t cease there.
Harrison mentioned he at all times asks his college students the place they want to go “and everybody desires to go to Las Vegas.”
Throughout that journey, they visited the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, Crimson Rock Canyon “then we visited all of the casinos and lodges,” Francesco mentioned, shortly including, “We didn’t gamble.”
Video calls every week helped hold the teenagers from lacking their households an excessive amount of, though Francesco, understandably, pines for the pizza of his native Italy, whereas Hugo has a critical hankering for the French delicacy foie gras.
“I attempted to deliver some to the USA, however customs wouldn’t enable it by,” Hugo mentioned.
Harrison defined how geese are mistreated throughout the course of of manufacturing foie gras, “so it’s truly unlawful to have it right here.”
“Hugo had a field from his mother and pa that had some in it,” he mentioned, “They had been delivery it, and (customs) took it out.”
In the meantime Francesco’s household owns a pizzeria — they even serve a fried pizza — so whereas he loved the one he tried in Las Vegas, the varieties he’s had listed below are “OK, however it’s very, very completely different,” he mentioned.
There are some which might be higher than others, nevertheless.
“I imply, I like Little Caesar’s as a result of it’s low-cost,” he mentioned. “However I like Marco’s. Marco’s or Sam’s, one of many two.”
Mexican meals has been Francesco’s favourite culinary discovery within the states, whereas Hugo has developed a keenness for burgers. However they’ll each have some tales to inform in Europe after sampling crawfish and alligator at Ralph & Kacoo’s. And Francesco plans on returning residence with a bottle of “Slap Ya Mama” Louisiana scorching sauce.
“And that is actually bizarre in Texas, however we eat horses. The meat is dear. Costlier than beef,” Francesco mentioned, noting they eat it as a lot in Northern Italy as hen is eaten right here.
And wine is clearly a way more informal a part of life in France than it’s within the states, as Hugo’s household shipped a bottle as a present for coach Russell that Hugo deliberate to current to him in school.
“Hugo, you possibly can’t take it to high school,” Harrison advised him, to which Hugo mentioned he’d take it to apply earlier than faculty.
“No, you received’t!” Harrison recalled telling him, laughing on the unintended uproar such a gesture would trigger right here.
The aim of the overseas alternate scholar expertise is to be engulfed within the language of the host nation. However Francesco mentioned he’s additionally matured rather a lot being away from his household and that the expertise “will assist my future, for certain.”
“It’s a really stunning expertise and you’ll develop rather a lot,” he mentioned. “You’ll be able to be taught numerous new issues.”
Hugo praised the expertise as one which results in “numerous souvenirs and a few contacts, like new pals — these issues.”
The kids additionally plan to remain in contact and go to one another after they return to Europe on the finish of subsequent week.
“I’m excited to return residence as a result of I’m lacking my household, however I’ll be unhappy as soon as I arrive there, for certain,” Francesco mentioned, as his adventures in Texas are coming to an finish. “It’s type of tough to clarify.”
Anyone who desires to use to turn out to be a overseas alternate scholar or host household can go to asse.com and fill out an utility.
“I’d wish to get some children positioned on this space,” Harrison mentioned.