Every student has to eventually go through the same dreaded horror of the first day of school. Although, most can agree, no terror compares to that of the first day in a new school. Imagine attending school in a completely exotic location with classmates completely foreign to you. Not to mention, everything about the way they live is different from what you’re accustomed to. You have no idea how anything works and you feel like you stick out like a sore thumb. You are confused and lost, but to make things even worse, you can barely even speak the same language as your peers.

That overwhelming feeling of fright is exactly what Fede Valcarcel experience when he walked through the doors of York High School in early August of this school year.

Fede was born and raised Albacete, Spain, however, last year, an amazing opportunity presented itself to give Fede the chance to spend an entire year in an English speaking country. He had to jump through many hoops – including writing over fifty pages to prove he was an eligible candidate for the exchange program – but he was not discouraged. As a part of the application process, he was told to select the top three countries where he would like to spend his year abroad. In the end, he was assigned to the United States in a small suburb outside the city of Chicago: Elmhurst, IL.

“I was extremely nervous when I first got here because it was a place I had never heard of before,”  junior Valcarcel said. “My first day was especially nervous because I honestly didn’t think I was going to be able to make any friends here.”

Valcarcel is technically a junior, however, he receives the same privileges as a senior including off campus and earning an American high school diploma. Next year, he will return to Spain and complete his senior year back home.

Fede was forced to make major adjustments to his everyday life. Back home, he attended a school ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade comprised of only 800 students. Transitioning to a high school of nearly 3,000 children would make anyone feel extremely overwhelmed. However, Fede quickly found the advantages to the differences of how we live life here.

“In Spain, we stay in the same class for the whole day and the teachers move, so it was pretty different when I came,” Valcarcel said. “Here, moving around helps you to think about other things and lets you refresh yourself, so I prefer this.”

Adjusting to how our school is organized wasn’t the only thing Fede had to get used to. He noted how the English he learned in school didn’t necessarily prepare him for living life in an English country. Despite passing the language portion of the exchange process, Fede found it somewhat difficult to keep up when he first arrived, although time has definitely allowed Fede to gain fluency in our language. He has also joined numerous clubs including international club and Spanish club where he can bring his experience with an entire different culture to the minds of York students.

“I’m really enthusiastic about speaking Spanish because my dad is from a spanish speaking country,” sophomore and Vice President of spanish club Anthony Aguilar said. “Having that makes me able to communicate with Fede better, and its really cool because he’s able to teach me stuff about his culture while I’m able to teach him stuff about my culture too.”

The language isn’t the only difference Fede has come to realize between the two countries. The kind of weather we have, the type of food we eat, and even the fact that our main method of transportation is driving contrasts to Fede’s hometown.

This winter, Albacete experienced its first snowfall in five years. As being someone whos never gotten to truly dwell in the excitement of a winter wonderland, Fede was mesmerized by the abundance of sparkling snow this winter brought. He was able to enjoy it by participating in many snow-filled activities including the thrilling event of sledding. However, it didn’t take long for him to fall into the same midwestern mindset regarding the irritation of the snow.

“I used to like the snow when I came here,” Valcarcel said. “But now there’s the slush and ice, and it’s just annoying.”

When asked what he missed most, Fede wasn’t hesitant to recall the food from Spain. He detailed many Spanish dishes including paella, a steamy mix of rice, chicken, and vegetables, and also a Spanish omelette, a circle of potatoes covered with an omelette and topped with salt and other mouth watering flavors.

“All the food is super homemade in Spain and it’s so good. I miss it so much,” Valcarcel said. “But I’ve definitely grown to like food here. Portillos is one of my go-to restaurants.”

Fede has gotten the full Chicago experience from Portillos to the Bean, and even the Willis Tower. He has gotten to visit the city and was blown away by the astounding distinctions of city life compared to that in his equivalent of Madrid.

“There was a lot a lot of people in Chicago. I thought I was going to get lost,” Valcarcel said. “The buildings were so cool. I loved them and they took my breath away.”

The transition for Fede from living in a place so different from Elmhurst is definitely an extraordinary thing to be able to experience at such a young age.

“I think this has been such an awesome experience for me that I will take with me for the rest of my life,” Valcarcel said. “I’ve gotten to see the way people work across cultures and I honestly think that diversity is a beautiful thing.”

If you’re interested in becoming an exchange student you can contact Fede about the exchange process on either of his social medias!

Instagram: @fbotija76

Snapchat: @fbotija