Students come from all over, ranging from different states to whole other continents. This could bring daunting change, both big or small; every student has their own unique story to tell. The high school has plenty of students who come from places that vary widely, and it might not be as noticeable as one might think. Popular media, such as shows or movies, may portray being a new student as something very different from reality. Students at the high school have a wide variety of stories about their journey in a new school.
Maryna Pylypko, senior, is from Ukraine. The country has only 11 grades that are required to complete for graduation, unlike high school in the United States, with 12 grades, making Pylypko ahead of the game. Along with this, she is currently attending high school as an exchange student through the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program. This opportunity gives students from across Europe the chance to attend an American high school for roughly seven months. Pylypko explains that this was a very rigorous program to get into, with FLEX participants required to complete many requirements just to be considered. She said, “It was a long process, almost a year.” The tests that were required were speaking and reading skills, where the contenders must be considered mostly fluent in English.
After she completed the tests, she was finally able to make the exchange. Pylypko said she had no choice about where she went, as her host family chose her to come to Marion. She believed that one of the best parts about the program was the opportunities that she got. She really enjoys doing new sports at the high school, she said, “My favorite thing that I’ve tried is definitely archery, because it became my favorite sport.” After the initial flight to Iowa, Pylypko felt very welcome here, and many people would approach her with kindness and without judgment. She said, “There I met other people, and that was the moment when I realized that people were really welcoming towards me.” She also described the harsh conditions of living in Ukraine during the ongoing war, including frequent power outages. “We didn’t have lights for several hours a day right now. It’s around 12-16 hours a day, and it’s harsh, especially during the winter season,” Pylypko said. Although they went through these blackouts, she still feels blessed not to have anything worse happen to the territory she was residing in before coming to Marion. This was a huge change for her in every aspect, as she mentions that people’s personalities are much more sensitive, whereas people in Ukraine were colder and less sensitive. However, according to Pylypko, her home country is known for its hospitality. While her exchange involved crossing continents, other students experienced smaller, though still meaningful, changes.
Another student, Skylar Samuel, who is a freshman, has been attending school in Marion since the beginning of 2024. Previously, Samuel lived in Missouri for most of her life. She said one of the things that stood out to her most was the many opportunities available here. She said, “I lived in a super small town, so that was just very different for me.” She explained that when she first transferred to school, she felt out of place because she didn’t know anyone, and that once she started speaking to more people and making friends, she began to feel better. “I felt very welcomed when I came to Marion. When I started talking to people, they were super friendly, and they introduced me to more people, and then I made some super good friends,” Samuel said. She adds that she commonly would get asked about the small accent that she had, but said that it is mostly gone now due to hearing how people in Iowa speak. After moving, Missouri was a thing of the past for Samuel. She voices how she doesn’t miss it much as she has made many new friends and memories here, but she still keeps in touch with her friends from her previous years.
These students shared their journey and perspective on being the new student that many others experience throughout the world. While they have different stories, they all come back to a common theme: feeling welcome and receiving kindness from others inside and outside the school. It may seem like a tough situation to face, but most students have a chance at having a bright future ahead of them. Whether this is for a simple change or something that goes deeper for them, both students said that kindness from classmates played a big role in adjusting to the new area.
