The first day back to school is stressful for anyone, but imagine going through it in an entirely different country and having to speak a foreign language. That is what De Soto’s three foreign exchange students are experiencing this year.

Junior Kjersti Jensen is from Norway. She is a part of the cross country team, which she says is a great place to “meet people on a smaller scale.”

Back home, Jensen took the public transit bus to and from school, whereas here she takes the school bus. So far, the biggest adjustment for her has been getting used to how busy the school is.

“A lot more stuff is happening here, like sports,” Jensen said. “That doesn’t happen in Norway.”

Celeste Zeng, a junior from China, also runs on the cross country team. This is her first experience living with a family while going to school, as students at her school in China live on campus in a dormitory during the school year.

According to Zeng, the language barrier and late start time of school have been the greatest problems to overcome. What has helped her adjust are the people she has met at DHS.

“The teachers and students here are very friendly,” Zeng said.

Sophomore Kevin Tao is also from China. The biggest difference he’s noticed so far is the smaller size of De Soto compared to his school back home. This year, Tao is taking advantage of the many classes offered at school. He says there are a lot more here than what he’s used to, which for him means that there’s “more choices and more opportunities.”

All three students have already enjoyed their experience enough to say that they plan on coming back, and for Zeng that could even be as soon as next year.