International Visits like this one would happen a lot prior to the COVID-19 shutdown. Now that schools are able to travel again, Global has once again linked up with these companies that bring foreign exchange students to the Inland Empire area. For this visit, Global is was expecting 16 student from Okinawa Japan. They are visiting our area for about three weeks and wanted to visit an American school, that school being Norte Vista High School.

On Thursday, August 15th, Norte Vista’s Global hosted a tour and run-through of Novi’s campus and the basics of how the school runs. This tour was given to 16 foreign exchange students from Okinawa Japan. They started off the visit with a tour of the school in a large group given by Global student senior Nicole Cline. Covering the entire school from the entrance to the softball field to the stadium to the farm we have on campus, these special guests had the opportunity to experience every physical feature that Novi has to offer. They also had the opportunity to attend global students 3rd period classes to get a true feel of what it is like to be a student here at Novi. Throughout the tour, they got to connect with some of the students in Global in many ways like exchanging words in their language, feeding animals on the farm, taking picture together, and talking about their cultural differences. Although there was a language barrier global was able to tackle that obstacle by taking to them with Google Translate and with the help of their teacher. 

The exchange students really enjoyed their visit here at Novi, I had the pleasure of interviewing a small group of them on how their experience has been so far as they have been here in the aspect of experience the differences and their impressions of America. (With special thanks to their teacher Kozue Kanesshima for translating.) During the interview, they expressed how fascinated they were by Norte Vista in comparison to the high schools they have in Japan. 

“It is very beautiful and big, I would want to go to this school” said Yuuna Aoyama, “I like that I see a lot of nature and green all the around the school”.

“There are so many nice people here, I would love to go to this school.” said Yukito Ogimi.

When asked about the difference in norms from here and Japan they talked about how the biggest difference noticed is that they are obligated to wear uniforms to school unlike the freedom in fashion expression that we have in most schools in America. Another big difference they noticed was the population of the school. in Japan the school population is much smaller than it is here. To them, they said that our school in like a college in Japan. they notice the freedom that we have to roam around our school.

“I love that this school is very big, very free” said Aoyama

Ogimi spoke about the math class that he got to join during 3rd period. He talked how focus everyone is in class and that he especially apricates it since he loves math. Kokona Arasaki sat through a cooking class during her 3rd period experience which she loved.

Gallery • 4 Photos

Liliana Rubalcava

Senior Nicole Cline Gives the tour of the entire school to our Okinawan guests.