Junior Ilona Soininen has come from 13 hours and a half hours away to learn what it is like to be a student in America. Soininen is from Tampere, Finland, and she came as part of the foreign exchange program, which allows foreign students to come to the US for one year, and stay with a host family while attending American school before returning home with a wealth of new experiences.

“Having someone in your house broadens your view of outside the country and shows the cultural difference and how day to day life is different in other places,” host mom Erin Bell said.

Soininen first met her host family over Facetime back in March so she then could get to know who she would be staying with for the next year. Soininen then flew into Chicago on Aug. 13 and stayed overnight. In the morning, she flew to St. Louis where she went to an orientation camp to meet other exchange students and her host family. Soininen will stay with her host family for the next year before returning to Finland in June. While here, she will learn about life in America and the cultural differences between the U.S. and Finland before returning home.

“I like it so far and it was a good decision to come,” Soininen said.