Jan Svrcina is a foreign exchange student from the Czech Republic who is visiting St. Louis High School for the exchange program.
He transferred here at the beginning of the school year and so far has been enjoying his time. “My experience at Saint Louis High school is good. The thing about everyone being so open and friendly makes it so much easier for me to get used to the cultural differences and other stuff,” said Svrcina.
He stated that his life in Czech is very different from how it is currently in St. Louis. “There are many cultural differences and the way our society works is also different. One of the differences is the school system,” he said. “The main difference is in the way people act. In my Czech school, the students’ behavior during breaks is similar, but it’s also totally different during classes. We have to respect our teachers and the relationships with them are much more strict and official. American students have more open and relaxed relationships with their teachers, and I think we need some of that too. Although sometimes I feel like the American kids are being disrespectful towards their teachers,” he added.
He made some friends here that he does really enjoy talking to and would like to visit if he were to come back to Michigan. “I’m leaving on the 28th of January 2025, but I think that one day I’m going to come back and visit some of the people I met here. I’m not sure if I would want to live here or in the United States long term, but if I did stay in Michigan, I would want to live in the northern part because of the nature and lakes,” he said.
Hopefully Svrcina enjoys the rest of his time here with the students and staff of SLHS.
