By Emily Wery

As you walk down the hall on the first day of school, it is known that you will take in the sight of new faces. But for Taubah Sumalee, one of Mount Vernon High School’s foreign exchange students, almost everyone was a new face. This August, Sumalee traveled from Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, to Mount Vernon, Iowa, to stay with Alaina Appley, one of the high school science teachers. When Sumalee came to Mount Vernon she left her older brother, parents, and friends behind. However, she said she’s adjusting to school life at Mount Vernon, and that it hasn’t been hard for her to meet people. “People here are really kind,” she explained, “so it has been easy for me to make friends.”

Wouldn’t it be cool if instead of traveling around to your classes, the teachers would come around to teach you? Well, at Sumalee’s school, her classes are organized like that. Thailand students also never have to worry about forgetting their locker combination, since they just carry their belongings to and from their classroom.  Sumalee discovered that she only has to take seven classes, instead of her usual eleven. However daunting the number of classes seems, Sumalee explains that the classroom atmosphere in Thailand is very relaxed. For that reason, she tells me that her favorite class here is ceramics, because it is so relaxing and fun.

Since coming here, Sumalee has been excited to discover everything about our culture. From people, food, religion, attractions, history, and the language. With all of those things in mind, the one experience she would like people outside her culture to try is Thai food. “I really would like everyone to try Thai food and dessert. It might be too spicy for American people, but it is really fantastic!” Sumalee explained smiling. “My favorite dish is my mom’s sweet chicken and I’ve never had anyone else’s.”

So, if you see Sumalee in the hallway, make her feel welcomed — say “Hi!” Be adventurous — try some Thai food, and share your experience with her. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to learn more about another culture, and in turn, share what you love most about yours. You’ll probably find that we all have much more in common than you think.