I was born and raised in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan. I have had a dream to study in an American high school and I reached my goal when I came to the USA as an exchange student.

I arrived in Virginia with little knowledge of American culture and only basic knowledge of English. My first day at school was terrifying because
I missed my first bus and was late to my first class. I was lost all day long with a little map in my hands. One thing that helped me not to give up at school was the students and teachers. Students were willing to help every time I had trouble in the halls and teachers were really patient with me in the classes. I started to explore American culture by just randomly talking with different people and found really good friends. I shared my culture with people including Kyrgyzstan’s national food as well as presentations and videos about my home country.

I also loved South Lakes for giving a lot of opportunities to participate in after school clubs and sports. I was a part of many clubs such as GLI (Girls Learn International), Best Buddies, Science Olympiad, DECA and others. I had fun knowing people who cared about the same ideas and opportunities that I did. During the spring I did Track and Field. I have never participated in any sport previously, so sprint running was a new
experience for me. I had so much fun being a part of a high school level sport with great coaches, competitions and hard-working people.

Looking back to my exchange year, I want to thank everybody who participated in my American life. This year was one of the best life experiences I have ever had. I want to thank all the teachers with whom I had a chance to meet, study and have fun. Thank you to the students who tried to pronounce my name in a right way, to the friends who cared about me, to the counselors who gave advice, and to the coaches and
bus drivers for their service. I would never have had a chance to enjoy my time here without everybody who was in my experience.