By: Stella McAllister
Enrico Tomei is an exchange student in his junior year from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Coming from a different culture and environment, Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS) is a whole new adventure for him to explore. Enrico shares, “I think the biggest difference is the lifestyle and school environment. Some things that are normal in the U.S are completely different from what I’m used to in Brazil, so it took me some time to adapt.” Enrico is looking forward to making memories and experiencing a new place.
Enrico grew up in Sao Paulo, a big city in southeastern Brazil. As he explains, “It’s a huge city, with lots of things to do, great restaurants, shopping malls, and a very diverse culture.” He also adds, “It can be chaotic at times, but I really love living there.” He shared that he decided to become an exchange student because he wanted to experience a different culture and improve his English.
“If I could tell someone wanting to be an exchange student anything I would tell them to take the opportunity and not be afraid of making mistakes. At the beginning, everything can feel a little uncomfortable, but that’s a part of the experience. You learn a lot about the culture, the language, and especially yourself.”
Enrico Tomei (11)
Upon arriving Enrico immediately noticed many activities and social norms unlike the ones at home, “My first impression was that everything felt really different, especially the way people interacted with each other.” Other than the way people interacted there were many other situations that were new for Enrico-especially in school life, “I was surprised by how many activities and opportunities students have at school.” Enrico has been enjoying school life and meeting new people as well as participating in school activities. Enrico explains, “There are so many different sports, clubs, and events, and students can get involved in things outside of the classroom. I think this makes school life more interesting.” While a lot of these are positive things Enrico also shares the struggles in the culture shock as well as being so far from home, “The hardest part has probably been being away from my family and friends, even though I’m having a great experience, sometimes I miss little things from home.”
As different as being an exchange student is, Enrico is excited to make memories and encourages others exchange student or not to do the same, “If I could tell someone wanting to be an exchange student anything I would tell them to take the opportunity and not be afraid of making mistakes. At the beginning, everything can feel a little uncomfortable, but that’s a part of the experience. You learn a lot about the culture, the language, and especially yourself.”
Pictured: Enrico Tomei (11), Gus Marques (10), Courtland Reiley (10) watching the sunset
