By Harrison Mayesh
Assistant Circulation Editor
From the arctic like climate of Germany, to the sunny beaches of Southern California, two sophomore German students have embarked on an educational and life changing experience while living in the South Bay for the next six months.
At the start of 2017, two German students named Patricija Kastelec and Katharina Siebert travelled to the South Bay through an exchange program called Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft. Since their arrival, both attend classes at Costa and work to improve their English by writing and speaking to other students and teachers.
“Everyday I am improving my English speaking and writing skills and learning more about the diverse American culture,” Siebert said. “I also really love going to Costa because the school spirit is amazing and everyone is really nice and welcoming by helping me during this transition.”
Kastelec and Siebert arrived in January right before the beginning of the second semester. Both plan to stay at Costa for six months, until the school year is complete in June. They are both enrolled in Physical Education, Math, English, World History and a wide variety of electives such as Photo, Ceramics, AP Human Geography and Intro to Law.
Link: Watch junior Lily Raffety express her opinions on foreign exchange students at Costa.
“I like Mira Costa a lot! It’s a lot bigger than my school back home in Germany and there are a lot more classes, clubs and other organizations that I want to join,” Kastelec said. “Also the students are really nice which makes it even better!”
In 2016, Kastelec attended a similar exchange program in France from September to December. Kastelec said she loved the experience so much that she wanted to do it again. Siebert attended an exchange program in France as well, for three weeks. Both Kastelec and Siebert live with host families, who cater to them and treat them like their own children, they said. Kastelec lives with the Stover family and Siebert lives with Storey family.
Link: Take a look at a German foreign exchange program.
“I came to Southern California because I already knew my host family,” Kastelec said. “My host dad met my parents a long time ago when he travelled through Europe. My host parents already lived in the area but I was especially excited to come here because of the beach.”
Other than practicing English and going to school, both Kastelec and Siebert both say they want to see Los Angeles’s finest attractions, including visiting downtown Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign and doing and seeing things that wouldn’t be possible in Germany because of the geography.
Link: The top 10 things to do when visiting Los Angeles.
“Before I leave I want to do as many things as possible including a bunch of typical American things such as eating American food and playing or watching American sport games,” Siebert said. “Overall, I just want to see and explore the region.”
Video: Junior Lily Raffety gives her opinion on foreign exchange students at Costa. The exchange and Costa students have a symbiotic relationship where both parties benefit valuable skills.
According to Kastelec, even after attending Costa for less than a month, both girls have slowly adapted and have made new friends. Kastelec says she is thinking of potentially joining a club on campus and the idea was introduced to her by her guidance counselor.
“They are both super nice and I love being able to show them around Costa,” junior Remy Sloves said. “I love hearing them tell stories about their lives in Germany and I feel good when I can help them with their English, it’s like a symbiotic relationship because we both help and teach each other things.”
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