EXCHANGE STUDENT ENJOYS HER STAY IN FORT WAYNE

Life sometimes takes drastic turns. Junior Ana Becerra understands this concept well. Barely four months ago, she was sitting in beautiful Vera Cruz, Mexico with her parents, enjoying the summer sunshine and the seaside city. Now she is living in a foreign country with a family not her own and attending a school full of strangers. Becerra is an exchange student, living life a bit differently than the average Bishop Luers’ student.

Through the help of an exchange program, C.A.S.E., Becerra has been relocated to Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Aguirre family of St. Therese parish has been kind enough to volunteer to host Becerra’s stay until the end of June. No language barriers have appeared between Becerra and her host family; she is trilingual in Spanish, English, and French.

Why would one choose to be uprooted from her life and plopped into the middle of Indiana? Becerra decided to come to the U.S. to study as an exchange student because she has future plans to work in a job field that may allow her to travel internationally. She is just getting the experience now.

Although life in Vera Cruz is similar to that in the U.S., Becerra has had to make a few adjustments. Once an only child, she now has three host siblings, one of whom she must share a bedroom with. Talk about a tough break! “I miss the privacy,” Becerra admitted.

The school day also seems a bit awkward to Becerra. “[In Vera Cruz,] instead of the students changing classes, the teachers switch rooms,” Becerra explained. Becerra participated in many activities at her high school in Vera Cruz including volleyball, service projects, an athletic program similar to cross country, and French studies. She is taking a break for now, but may join the softball team in the spring.

Despite these changes, Becerra seems to find life in Fort Wayne agreeable. She has had fun going to the movies, football games, and go-karting. She does miss the food from her home. “The food here is too junky,” Becerra commented.

The Luers community is quite lucky that Becerra’s drastic turn has brought her here.