Meet Isabell Schleiger—a German exchange student who has decided to spend her sophomore year at New Trier High School. Coming from a small town called Schwäbisch Hall, Schleiger brings a fresh, new perspective by experiencing New Trier’s size, opportunities, and student experience through the eyes of someone used to a smaller school community. Spending a year abroad requires one to step out of their comfort zone, but Schleiger is eager to do so.
“I just wanted to see something new, to challenge myself,” Schleiger says. “To get out of the bubble where I was in for many years, and also to be on my own for one time.”
Before arriving in the United States, Schleiger went through a thorough, competitive process to be selected as an exchange student. Applicants are evaluated by the American Field Service Intercultural Programs, also known as AFS, which manages the exchange partnership for New Trier. To be considered for the program, students must submit academic profiles, letters of recommendation, and complete English proficiency tests.
“There’s a pretty rigorous, intensive application and recommendation process that they go through in their home countries,” Associate Principal of Academics and Administrative Services Dan Weidner says. “I get an entire academic profile on the students and letters of recommendation from their teachers, counselors, or principals at their home schools.”
Once selected, exchange students are connected with local AFS volunteers and host families. Additionally, exchange students are provided with clubs like Global Exchange and Newbies and ongoing community support to help with the transition.
“All throughout the year, in addition to doing stuff here at New Trier, they’ll continue to connect with the AFS community,” Weidner says. “So they have a lot of support.”
New Trier is a great school, offering over 150 extracurricular activities. While these opportunities may seem normal to everyone else, for exchange students like Schleiger, the amount of extracurriculars is extraordinary.
“[New Trier is] a really big, big school with a lot of opportunities and chances for their students,” Schleiger says. “You can try out for a lot of stuff. You can just immerse yourself in the field you’re interested in.”
When Schleiger first arrived at New Trier, she noticed many differences between her new school and her school back home in Germany.
“My school has about 400 students in the whole school,” Schleiger says. “We always have one class of 30 people, and we stay in that class for the rest of our lives.”
Schleiger is also amazed at the selection of classes that she is able to take, some of which she wasn’t aware they had classes for.
“Taking new classes that Germany doesn’t offer in school: ceramics, literature and film, and photography,” Schleiger says.
In Germany, school is primarily for academics without much opportunity to pursue extracurricular sports. Students interested in sports often participate in highly-organized, competitive club sports outside of school. New Trier, on the other hand, offers a wide variety of sports—some of which Schleiger was unfamiliar with.
“Flag football, it’s a sport that we don’t know about in Germany, it’s a completely different sport and it’s great for meeting new people and it’s good to try new things,” Schleiger says.
Having just added the program two years ago, girls flag football is relatively new to New Trier. However, in just a short period of time, the sport has amassed a great following, fostered a loving environment, and inspired its athletes. It’s opportunities like these that showcase New Trier’s dedication to supporting all the interests of its students.
Although she’s excited about the opportunities New Trier has to offer, Schleiger experiences homesickness from time to time. It’s not just her friends, family, and hometown that she longs for, Schleiger misses the little things that remind her of home, like produce in particular.
“Also, what I miss about Germany [is] eating watermelon,” Schleiger says. “Here it’s just water, not watermelon. It’s not good.”
Yet, Schleiger feels grateful to have learned from this program. One of the biggest lessons from her exchange year so far has been the importance of openness. When asked what advice she’d give for future exchange students, Schleiger suggested that exchange students should welcome every opportunity, especially when it feels intimidating.
“Just say yes to everything. If somebody asks you to do stuff, always say yes,” Schleiger says. “Don’t be scared, don’t be shy, just try out for new stuff and talk to people.”
More than just an academic experience, Schleiger’s year abroad is an opportunity for her to broaden her perspective.
“When you have the feeling that you’re scared, that’s the point where you actually should get out of your comfort zone,” Schleiger says. “That feeling isn’t something to run away from, it’s a sign you’re growing.”