Repein ready to discover a new world

Not every day do you get to talk to someone from a different country, but students from several communities will get the opportunity every day.

Maddy Repein is a foreign exchange student from Cologne, Germany, and she is living with Bob and Bev Krutz of Orchard until June 2020.

Repein is only 15 years old, and she will be a senior at Orchard Public Schools. Maddy would be a sophomore back in Germany, and she does not receive credit for spending a year in America. When she returns to Germany, she will be starting her junior year.

When asked why she wanted to be in the foreign exchange student program, Repein said, "I love talking English, I always watched movies about it, so I finally convinced my parents because I just really wanted to see different parts of the world."

Repein is very interested in journalism, so it is beneficial for her to see how different America really is.

One of the biggest differences she has noticed is the air conditioning in America. Germany uses air conditioning, but people don't like their homes and buildings as cold as Americans do, so it has been an adjustment.

"The people here are much more open to meeting new people, and they care more," she said.

Some things Repein looks forward to in this experience include the first day of school and prom. She is on the volleyball team this fall, but she plays basketball year round in Germany because sports are done through clubs instead of through the school system.

She also mentioned that kids can start driving with their parents at age 16. When they turn 18, they can legally drive by themselves, but she said most people don't own cars.

Repein said many students from Germany participate in the foreign exchange program their sophomore year.

"Just go for it," Repein advises other students considering being in the program.