Joelle Milatz is a 16 year old exchange student from Germany and will be spending ten months in the US. She is very excited to be here and experience the American way of life! She came to Northwest and is a junior here at the school. Joelle expressed the sentiment that she has always wished to visit the US and so decided to look for an exchange program. The program had her take  English tests and after this the organization looked for a host family for her. When asked how she is liking America so far, she said that she likes it here very much. She described everyone as friendly and open-minded. The biggest difference between here and Germany by her account is the school. They do not have football games, cheerleading, laptops, or a dress code. She described high school as more of a community due to the amount of time students dedicate to school. She stated, “It is also very interesting that students have their own cars and come to school like that. I was shocked when I saw that because you have to be 18 to drive a car in Germany.” Her favorite classes are ceramics and business, taught by Mr. Wallace and Mr. Black, respectively–pep rallies and football games being her favorite events. Joelle said that Mississippi is beautiful. She lives in Berlin, so she is not used to such a scenic area. Mississippi has different animals than in Germany, and she also loves the sunsets. The food is also incredibly different than what she is used to. The US has a lot of fast food, and Joelle said that she ate a lot healthier in Germany. Overall, she is loving the new experiences that she is getting to discover.