Every year, McClatchy becomes a temporary home to a couple of foreign exchange students from around the world. This year, German exchange student Emmily Ondrey has experienced a school year unlike any other at McClatchy.
Emmily came to America from a city near Frankfurt, which is in the middle of Germany.
At McClatchy, Emmily is a sophomore, but when she returns to her German high school, she will still have three more years of high school, because college-preparatory high schools in Germany continue through 13th grade.
Emmily has noticed several other differences between McClatchy and her high school in Germany. She noted the different grading system, which consists of the numbers one through six rather than letter grades, as well as the differences in scheduling.
“We don’t have the same schedule every day, we have a different one every day. We have twelve different subjects, and we have a religion class…we have everything. Biology, chemistry, physics, three different languages—everything,” said Ondrey.
“The only sad thing is that we don’t have a lot of creative classes,” said Ondrey, who plans on studying film producing at University after she graduates.
Ondrey mentioned that while her school does have a couple of music or art classes, they’re not as hands-on as creative classes at McClatchy.
“For me, school here is easier, which is probably because I have so many fun classes,” said Ondrey, whose schedule includes lots of electives, like yearbook, choir, film studies, and concert band.
Emmily plays the trumpet for McClatchy’s concert band and sings as well. She performed at McClatchy’s VAPA Gala in January, where her singing was so beautiful that it brought tears to many people’s eyes. She also played trumpet in the pit orchestra for the spring musical, Legally Blonde.
When Ondrey arrived at McClatchy in late August, she wasn’t expecting her new school to make national headlines multiple times in the year ahead.
“I was kind of surprised. When I came here I heard that you had two bomb threats last year, and you had all the walkouts. I didn’t really get involved in those,” said Ondrey. “I mean, I got used to it I guess, but it’s like completely different from Germany.”
Despite the turmoil at McClatchy and in the United States in general, Ondrey characterized her experience in America as “a lot of fun.”
“At the beginning it was kinda hard because you didn’t know anyone, you’re on a completely different continent, you have to get used to speaking English and everything, the school system is different. Like, I always got lost at this school because all the hallways look the same, but then after a while I started making more friends and it was a lot of fun,” said Ondrey.
Ondrey’s year in America is set to end in mid-July, but she doesn’t think it’ll be her last time in America.
“Maybe, after I graduate, I’ll come back here,” she said. “I really like it in Sacramento.”