The international exchange student program has became popular in recent years.

Sophomore Mai Lan Nguyen participated in a one-month exchange last March. She enjoyed her stay that in August she returned for an entire semester. Coming from Diez Ca, Germany, Nguyen states that Carolina Forest and Germany are very different.

“I grew up in Germany, so I’m more used to German customs and culture, but I definitely learned a lot here that I’m going to bring over to Germany. Just like every country, the U.S and Germany both have positive and negative sides,” explains Nguyen.

High schools differ in rules and environment.

“The school environment at Carolina Forest is not as organized and disciplined, I would say. It is also more chaotic,” comments Nguyen.

However, Nguyen states that she has enjoyed her stay in Horry County the past semester, and her favorite part of Carolina Forest is all the people she met here.

Nguyen became an exchange student because she had been living in the same town with the same people and wanted to make a change.

“I needed some change to make experiences to help me grow and mature as a person. I also felt like being in a new environment completely on my own would help me to get to know myself better,” reveals Nguyen.

Although Nguyen has made many memories that she will treasure forever, she hopes to one day visit some of the great people she has met here.

“I’ve learned so many different things, and it’s difficult to truly summarize them. I think one of the most important things I learned is to have trust in myself and to be confident. Confidence isn’t about “knowing that you’re the best” but rather to have trust in yourself and your abilities.”

While Nguyen states that she does not have her future as planned out and is unsure about what she wants to study, she does want to earn a German graduation diploma and hopes to study abroad for a year in the United States after graduation.

We hope her experiences here have helped shape who she is, and we wish her luck as she returns to Germany on January 20.