Solamé Boitelle

Exchange student, Solamé Boitelle, was born and raised in Elsass (Alsace), France. Getting the opportunity to live in the United States for the duration of an American school year has given Boitelle a look into a culture that is completely different from her own.

“Schools in France are so much more difficult,” Boitelle said. “Getting good grades in the classes that I’m in right now is pretty easy for me.”

Along with the level of difficulty in school material, there are many differences regarding schedules, classes and how subjects are taught.

“We don’t change classes very often, one teacher teaches many different subjects,” Boitelle said. “In France, we also don’t have electives, the only choices are basic classes like maths, sciences, and different languages.”

One benefit of studying in the United States is getting to explore different career paths without having to wait for college.

“Some people, for example, want to become a lawyer in the future, but they come out of high school without really knowing what it’s like,” Boitelle said. “Students can get the chance to learn more about and really feel what it’s like to be in that career here in the U.S.”

Back at home, Boitelle had a completely different daily life than she does now as a foreign exchange student. From her diet, to means of transportation, France and America greatly differ in lifestyles.

“I ate a lot of fruits, veggies, and salad back in France instead of the junk and processed food I eat here,” Boitelle said. “We don’t use a car for everything we do, instead we use the bus, the train, or we walk to places.”

Even away from her home country, Boitelle still finds ways to trace her home roots.

“I can usually find cheeses and other french food at World Market and Kroger,” Boitelle said. “So when I’m missing France, I like to go get some comfort food to remind me of home.”

Not being able to drive and not having public transportation at her fingertips is challenging for Boitelle in adapting to the American culture.

“Whenever I want to go places with my friends or meet up with them, I have to always ask and bother my host parents to take me,” Boitelle said.

Although moving from France to the United States can have its cultural differences, Boitelle doesn’t believe most of them are negative and appreciates the open-midness of Americans.

“In France, you are more likely to get judged if you are gay because they are very closed minded,” Boitelle said. “I like that in the U.S people can speak their mind and do what makes them feel good and if someone wants to come to school in pajamas or dress up nice they can, without worrying about getting judged.”

Boitelle feels that throughout her migration to the U.S, she has found that she has the opportunity to express herself more than in her homeland.

“As a smiley and happy person, I enjoy getting to express myself in America where in France people are always so serious,” Boitelle said. “They act as they don’t enjoy themselves, so I always had to restrict myself more back home.”

For Boitelle, the United States offers the opportunity to interact with those of multiple cultures and heritages in a public and daily environment.

“In the area that I come from in France, we don’t have a lot of immigration and all, so basically everyone at my private school is white, snobby, and boring,” Boitelle said. “Here, my friend group has people from all over like Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and Pakistan, so I love the diversity.”

Not only does Boitelle feel that Americans are accepting to others overall, but she feels like the staff and students at Liberty have welcomed her with open arms

“I was so glad to find out that everyone at [Liberty] was so accepting,” Boitelle said. “Everyone gets so excited when I tell them I’m French and it has made my experience so much better than I imagined.”