NEWBURYPORT — A Brazilian exchange student is making ready to participate within the Newburyport High School commencement ceremony and stated she has grown to like town and her host household.
The college district works with Boston-based Educatius Group to ask worldwide college students to attend Newburyport High School every year. Fernanda Ieffet hails from Bagé, a metropolis of 121,335 in Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Ieffet has been attending NHS as a international exchange student and residing with the Butler household of Toppans Lane since late January.
The 18-year-old stated she has change into shut along with her host household and the teenage Butler sisters Alexa and Sabrina particularly.
“I expected to bond with the family, but not as much as I actually did,” Ieffet stated.
Educatius Group senior regional supervisor Jodi DelRazo stated her firm has been working with Newburyport High School for six years and has discovered a robust advocate in Principal Andrew Wulf.
“The program adds diversity to the community and teaches the American kids about the rest of the world on a completely different level. Our kids tend to do very well academically, so they are looking for a school that will challenge them and offer plenty of opportunities,” DelRazo stated.
Each international exchange student picks from a portfolio of potential faculties from across the nation, and DelRazo stated Newburyport has confirmed to be a in style selection.
“Newburyport speaks for itself as a quaint, picturesque New England community. Whenever we bring the kids up there, we go around the community; it is everything they have ever imagined,” she stated.
Educatius Group Northeast Regional Coordinator Kathi Sanborn stated every student joins a host household after matching pursuits, reminiscent of what the student likes to do of their spare time or what musical devices or sports activities they get pleasure from taking part in. According to Sanborn, there are a number of international exchange college students finding out and residing in Newburyport this yr. During a cellphone name on Tuesday, Sanborn stated eight college students from different international locations might attend college in Newburyport this fall.
While 18-year-old Alexa Butler is a senior at Berwick Academy in South Berwick, Maine, her 16-year-old sister, Sabrina, is a sophomore at Newburyport High. Sabrina stated she was shocked at simply how shut she and Ieffet have grown over the previous 5 months.
“She’s like a built-in best friend, we trust each other a lot and it’s great. We talk a lot of girl stuff and she taught me a song on the piano. We just enjoy each other’s company, in general,” Sabrina stated.
Sabrina additionally stated she was very impressed with Ieffet’s work ethic.
“She learned a new language and is doing all these things and she has inspired me to try more. She also makes me more happy to live here because she loves it here so much,” Sabrina stated.
Civics and authorities has been the exchange student’s favourite class at the highschool at 241 High St.
“I want to be a lawyer one day and I think that class helped me. I also got to take journalism and economics, which I didn’t study back home,” Ieffet stated.
Ieffet built-in in a short time into American society, in accordance with Sabrina, who added that Ieffet maintained straight A’s in class.
“She was doing all of this in a second language, so I am very impressed with all she has done,” the youthful Butler sister stated.
Alexa discovered that she and Ieffet had related pores and skin and hair care practices.
“Our bathroom is just packed with all of these products and that is definitely something we share in common,” she stated.
Ieffet spent three weeks as an exchange student in Fullerton, California, two years in the past however stated she wished to return to Massachusetts to expertise completely different climate. She stated she cherished the winter in Newburyport.
“I really like this city. The architecture is incredible and it is so different from what I have at home,” she stated.
The international exchange student additionally made the journey to Boston throughout her keep. She made positive she spent some high quality time on Plum Island however stated the Newburyport waterfront is her favourite a part of her adopted metropolis.
“I like to go down there and read and chill because it is so beautiful,” Ieffet stated.
She turned a fan of the Boston Bruins after taking in a recreation at TD Garden and ceaselessly cheered on the Newburyport High School varsity boys hockey workforce.
“I am definitely a fan,” she stated.
Fernanda’s host mom, Giovanna Boggero, was a Mexican exchange student in England when she was in class.
Boggero stated she and her husband, Dan Butler, wished to present another person the identical instructional expertise.
“Newburyport is a beautiful town and I would have loved to have been hosted in a place like this,” Boggero stated.
Dan Butler stated any highschool student who takes half in an exchange program is most likely a go-getter by nature and Ieffet proved his supposition was right.
“Fernanda made a pretty brave move coming here for six months, not knowing anybody. I think that has been an inspiration to our daughters,” he stated.
Boggero stated she and her husband would undoubtedly suggest changing into a host household to others.
“Learning to welcome a foreign person into your home and to embrace that person as one of your own takes a little bit of doing. It’s not very easy. But that has also been part of the growth for our girls, who got exposed to her cultural differences as well,” she stated.
Although she already graduated from highschool again home, Ieffet will stroll with the remainder of the Newburyport High School Class of 2022 on commencement day, Sunday, June 5. She will head home to South America by the top of June, she stated.
Ieffet stated she is very grateful for all that the Butlers have given her.
“I could not have asked for a better host family,” she stated.
Staff author Jim Sullivan covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News. He could be reached through electronic mail at [email protected] or by cellphone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.