The Foreign exchange program extends all across the country, as kids from many ages come to the United States as a part of a program to learn and live in the United States. The COVID-19 Pandemic put a halt to most usual activities, but the exchange program was a little bit different. Denton High happens to have an exchange student this year, and her name is Isabella Vruzhi. Here is a backstory about Isa, and the events on coming here.

Isabella Vruzhi is an American Junior who traveled from Italy, and she is very fluent in 5 languages. She is from a small lake village in the northern part of the country, and is really excited to be a student and learn in the United States.

The Exchange student program’s head, Christine Sanders, is also the host parent to Isa for her stay here. She has hosted 15 exchange students including Isa, and having the chance to host during a pandemic made it a little fun.

“Hosting Isa has solved our pandemic boredom, and has given us a reason to have fun inside and outside of our home,” Sanders said. “It has been great to get to know her and in just a few short weeks it already feels like she has always been here.”

It was a very strange and long process for Isabella to finally get to Denton, as COVID and air travel put delays on the original dates.

“My first day in the US was kinda weird,” Isabella said. “I landed in Washington and I was ready to fly to Dallas and meet my host family when I arrived at the gate and was told that the plane had already departed and that there were no more flights to Dallas. I had to spend that night at an airport hotel. The next day I finally got to the destination, and one of the first things they made me try was Mexican food.”

The initial process of Isabella coming here was simple, and it was what every foreign student would do, but COVID put a damper on that plan and pushed her date to January instead of the entire school year.

“Let’s say that it was a surprise in part,” Isabella said. “Initially I had enrolled to do the whole year, then the departures in August were cancelled, and around September we were informed that the departure had been moved to January. It is hard not being able to see my family, but my host parents have been really nice with me.”

A very interesting fact about Isabella, is her ability to speak 5 languages. She has spent many years learning and mastering the other 3 languages that she did not grow up knowing.

“I grew up speaking 2 languages at home,” she said. “My family is Albanian, and this made it easier for me to learn the other 3. I’ve been studying French for 7 years, English for a very long time, and German for 4 years.”

The exchange program is very important for the United States government, as it helps relationships with other countries and their ambassadors. Although COVID ran rampant through the world, that didn’t stop the program from doing their thing.

“When the pandemic started our borders were closed to most countries, and all visas were haltered, except for the student visa for exchange students and college students,” Sanders said. “President Trump actually signed an executive order giving travel waivers to all the approved exchange students to still get into the country even if borders were closed.”