By Josh Chase, Correspondent 

The purpose of foreign exchange programs is to give students from abroad a lesson in what it’s like to live in America. But according to the Prior Lake residents who opened their homes this month to a group of European teenagers, they’ve learned just as much as their visitors have.

Kate Tinguely, a teacher at Five Hawks Elementary School, says her time with 14-year-old Spanish student Javier Carmona has been both fun-filled and educational. From Fourth of July celebrations and trips to the State Capitol, to strolls through the Mall of American and the Minnesota Zoo, Tinguely has spent the month of July trying to give her foreign-born guest a taste of what it’s like to be American.

“It has been a really fun experience,” says Tinguely, who plans to take her own trip to Europe next year during Summer vacation.Spanish exchange student Javier
Carmona plays soccer – or football,
as he calls it – with Michael
Tinguely, one of the children in his
host family. (Photo by Josh Chase)

Tinguely got the idea to welcome an exchange student into her home after a friend of hers signed up for the program earlier this year. A wife and mother of three, Tinguely says the experience has enriched the lives of her entire family.

“I think it has opened up (my sons’) eyes that there’s more out there than the United States,” she says. “It’s given them, I think, a global awareness.”

Carmona, who is shy and sometime struggles with his English, says his trip was fun, but went by “very fast” – so fast, in fact, that he once asked his host if Americans follow the same calendar as Europeans.

For Carmona, the culture shock wasn’t quite as drastic as one might think. People and businesses are similar, he says, though daily routines and the nightlife are quite different.

“When I have school, I sleep at 12 (a.m.) and on holidays 1 or 2 (a.m.),” says the teenager, who adds that when he’s at home, he spends many of his nights at “la discoteca” – or nightclub.

Carmona was one of five foreign students – four from Spain and one from France – who spent time in Prior Lake over the summer as part of the Nacel Open Door Exchange Program. The organization is “dedicated to promoting international understanding education, believing it is essential for young people to develop a deeper awareness of their role as citizens of the world,” said Nacel coordinator Faith Richardson.

The program differs from traditional exchange student programs, in which students attend American schools for long periods of time, the coordinator said. In the Open Door program, she explained, students visit American for a month and “it is meant to be fun.”

For Ines Rollan, fun is exactly what the experience was. Rollan, 14, is also from Spain. She spent her time in Prior Lake with Jonathan and Jill Lee. When asked how she’d describe her experience, she says it’s been “fun” and “interesting.”

“Everything is very big and very good,” Rollan explains, giving two thumbs up. “I like a lot of things in America. I like to go shopping and I like the Jonas Brothers. I also like animals at the zoo.”

Rollan’s host, Jill, says she and her family put a lot of thought into which activities they’d take their guest to. They wanted to give her the most American cultural experience they could.

“Basically, our objective is just to let the student be immersed into the American culture,” Jill says. “Just do whatever your family normally does and just let them absorb America.”

A rock concert and a trip to Valleyfair are just a couple of the activities the Lee family came up with.

According to Jill, though, Ines isn’t the only one getting an education. The Lee children also have learned a lot since the visit began.

“My children are learning about a different culture and the differences from our country to their country,” says the mother. “They’re learning how to take somebody who can’t always tell you exactly what they’re thinking and figure out what they’re saying – bridge the language gap. I think they’re learning a lot about the culture.”

Dan and Vicky Rodewald also have enjoyed the time they’ve spent with their exchange student, Clara Rollan, 14, Ines’s cousin.

The Rodewalds found out about the program through their 13-year-old daughter, Madelyn, who heard about it at school. Three weeks into the trip, the Rodewalds say they had no idea how great the experience would be.

The couple says they became almost as immersed in their guest’s culture as she became in theirs. From learning her language to asking Rollan to prepare traditional Spanish meals, the Rodewalds say they’ve experienced a little bit of Spain in their very own home.

Rollan, whose favorite American restaurant is McDonald’s and who enjoyed going to garage sales, says she was most surprised about sales tax. When she and her host family went to a department store to purchase an MP3 player, Dan had to figure out a way to explain why Rollan was being asked to pay more than the amount on the price tag.

While experiences like that were difficult because of the language barrier, Dan explains, that was also what made the experience so challenging and fun.

“I enjoyed just learning the culture and the language,” he says. “I’ve learned some and it’s made me want to learn more.”

Vicky says she most enjoyed getting to know her young visitor.

“The one thing I didn’t think of was how much she would miss her mother. Coming to live for a month with people she’s never met – that takes a very brave person,” says Vicky, who now feels a strong connection to Rollan. “I feel like I’ve made a forever friend.”

According to Richardson, that’s what the program is all about – not only giving students educational experiences on foreign cultures, but creating personal connections between people who live half a world away from each other.

“It is amazing how close the students and families get in such a short time,” the coordinator says. “During this month, cultures are exchanged and families often feel they have added another child to their family.”

Josh Chase can be reached at jchase@swpub.com.