Bojana Mihajlovic’s

One flight, three different planes, a new country, new language, new family, a trip to Walmart, and dinner at Spudley’s. This was the first day for Serbian exchange student, Bojana Mihajlovic’s, junior year.

“The first day here was crazy. I arrived in Paola at 10 a.m. and from then on I stayed very busy, but I was just so excited to meet new people and try new things,” Mihajlovic said.

After leaving everything she knew behind, Mihajlovic said she was ready to experience new things.

“It was very scary at first, leaving everything I knew. But it was also really exciting, getting to see a different culture in every aspect, socially and educationally, everything was just so contrasting from Serbia,” Mihajlovic said

But this wasn’t Mihajlovic first time traveling somewhere new. She had already traveled to Macedonia and Greece; two countries south of Serbia.

“I’ve been going to Greece for more than 10 years now on vacations; it’s only six hours away from my hometown,” Mihajlovic said.

Mihajlovic also said she decided to become a foreign-exchange student because of her love for traveling.

“I want to travel a lot in my life, I love to travel, and this was really the first step. I was getting a little bored in Serbia too, and I was ready to meet new people and try different things,”Mihajlovic said.

Deanell Wieland, counselor, said she believes students decide to become a part of the foreign-exchange program because of the experience and all the opportunities that being an exchange student presents.

“I think foreign exchange students decide to travel for the experience. It helps them experience another language first-hand, another culture, and another type of schooling,”Wieland said.

Wieland also said she hopes all foreign exchange students leave the high school with a strong, positive experience.

“I really hope that they leave PHS with good memories and a genuine American experience. Where people in small towns care about one another, look out for one another, and support one another,” Wieland said.

If there’s anything Mihajlovic wants to accomplish most while she’s in America, she said it’s to make good, life long friends.

“I definitely want to make friends that I can stay in contact with, people I can meet up with again. I’m not sure I’ll ever come back to America, but I still want to have connections here,” Mihajlovic said.