Danish Student Gains a New Perspective

Temporarily living in a country halfway across the world can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially when you’re surrounded by people you don’t know. Thea Thomson is someone who has experienced this first-hand. 

Thomson, a junior, is a foreign exchange student from Denmark who is loving her time in America and at FCHS. Thomson’s decision to go to school in America was rooted in her love for American movies, and it appears her hopes for what America would be like have been met. “Everyone is so welcoming and really nice,” she said. “I also like FCHS because it is so big and it is hard to find my way around.”

Although admitting to missing her mom, dad, and a younger brother back home in Denmark, Thomson says that her host family has been “very welcoming.” She is staying with the Stricklands, a family that has been involved with swim teams all over the area, for the next 10 months. “I might join the swim team,” she said, a fact which isn’t surprising considering her host family’s loves for swimming. 

Thomson mentioned the fact that her old school in Denmark is much more relaxed than FCHS. “We never had to ask to use the restroom [there],” she said, and noted that “We would call our teachers by their first names.” Thomson also said that her old school was much smaller than FCHS. “There were about 800 people enrolled, and the school included all of the grades,” she said.

Thomson appears to be very outgoing and has had little trouble making friends along the way. She says her favorite class is Student Government Association (SGA), noting that everyone is very welcoming in the class, especially teacher David Small.

After her time at FCHS, she plans to go back home to another Danish school into which she has already been accepted. “It is like a college and a high school mixed together,” she explained. The school doesn’t have the intensity of a university, but the education is better than high school.

Thomson says she has really been enjoying her junior year at FCHS so far. With SGA and future swim team plans, she has her hands fairly full. With all the warm greetings she has received and friends she’s made, she holds high expectations for this year.