Having the opportunity to live and go to school in another country for a year sounds epic and exciting. That is called an exchange year, in which a student travels to a foreign country to study, live with a host family, and learn about the culture of the host country. This year at San Dimas High School, there are three exchange students: Junior Linus Andler from Germany, Senior Hannah Pezzei from Italy, and Senior Johanna Boehmer from Germany, who are all here to experience what it’s like to attend high school in the United States.
Andler, 16, from Frankfurt, came all the way to the United States in early August to start his exchange year as a junior at San Dimas High. At the beginning of the school year, he joined the Foundations of Leadership class taught by English Teacher Mr. Coulter, where he participated in the Courageous Conversations hosted by the class. Throughout the school year, it became one of his favorite activities. The Courageous Conversations helped him learn about campus life and the students here at San Dimas High. Aside from the Courageous Conversations, Andler picked up a racket and joined the San Dimas High School tennis team, getting the opportunity to meet new people and try a new sport. Currently, he is working on a project with Coulter, where they are creating AI service agents for people to use. From all his experiences so far this year, Linus can say that he is “grateful for all the people I met, and for the great opportunity to be in a different country.”
Also, from Germany, but from the imperial city of Cologne, Boehmer is another exchange student at San Dimas High School, a graduating senior of the class of 2026, and she is loving every single minute of her exchange year and embracing how different things are in the United States than in Germany. Boehmer’s favorite classes at San Dimas High School are Statistics, Psychology, and Sports Medicine, allowing her to learn new subjects she was not taught in Germany. During her exchange year in California, the organization she was with took her and many other exchange students, including Pezzei, on a tour of Hol lywood, which was a memorable experience for her and Pezzei, as they got to see the famous California neighborhood in person for the first time. Boehmer’s favorite event at San Dimas High School is the rallies, which she describes as “fun and exciting, seeing the sports captains compete against one another in games, and the cheer and dance team performing flawless routines,” demonstrating Boehmer’s enjoyment of American high school spirit rallies.
All the way from the Italian municipality of Bruneck, Pezzei started her exchange year as a senior at San Dimas High School, where she had the opportunity to play on the girls’ soccer team, take fun classes, tour Hollywood, and attend school events such as Homecoming. Pezzei has played soccer all her life, and being in an American high school, she was able to play for the first time, which in Italy she was not able to do since there were not many extracurricular options offered in Italian high schools. Pezzei’s top three classes at San Dimas High are Human Body Systems, Culinary, and Foundations of Leadership, and, just like Boehmer, she was able to take classes she had not yet taken in Italy. At the top of her list of favorite school events was Homecoming, as she got to experience an American high school dance for the first time. Pezzei’s exchange year has changed her in so many ways; according to her, “I have met a lot of new people, I become more independent and confident in myself,” proving that studying abroad for a certain amount of time can impact a person greatly.
As Andler, Pezzei, and Boehmer continue to explore San Dimas and all its wonders, they will gain new experiences and memories they will never forget during their exchange year in the US. With amazing classes, great students and staff, sports, and school events, San Dimas High School is the perfect school for an exchange student to have an unforgettable American high school experience.
