Goodrich – It’s back to school and Chinese student YiBo Qi is very happy.
In addition to improving English skills, making new friends and learning about the culture in America’Qi is focused on one more goal’becoming a United States citizen someday.
‘There is more freedom here,? said Qi. ‘Teachers get to teach subjects that are more social in nature. They can also give their opinions if they want to.?
Qi is one of six foreign exchange students who will attend the high school during the 2008-09 school year. The roster of foreign students include two from China and one each from Brazil, Korea, Japan and the Czech Republic.

Qi said she wants to study economics in hopes of being an American economist. ‘I want to help America with their economy and try to help the United States and China come together to identify better safety in Chinese products,? she said. ‘The babies in China get sick because of the contaminated food we have there.?
Camila Fernandes from Sao Paulo, Brazil, said she lives in a very poor area and the landscape is very different. ‘Everything is so green here,? she said. ‘Sao Paulo doesn’t have the wide open rural areas that are here. It is a big city with lots of buildings and the houses are very close together. Because we have a huge population, the people in my country have to pay for private instruction.?
Fernandes likes the way she gets to school. ‘I really like the yellow bus that takes me to school, I think that is so cool,? she said.
Studying hard is what Fernandes wants to do so she can attend the University of Sao Paulo, a university she said is quite famous in her country. ‘I would like to have a great career in my country someday, maybe be a lawyer,? said Fernandes.
This is the first year village resident and special education teacher Susan Smith has coordinated the ASSE International Student Exchange Program for all of Genesee County. She decided to take in two students this year, Angela Wang from China and Eujin Gong from Korea.
‘I picked students from Asia because they are brought up to respect their elders and have a deep respect for learning, which makes them really want to learn,? said Smith.
Cleaning up misconceptions about the United States is one of the best things Smith said foreign exchange students gain from the experience. ‘I believe after spending an entire year in the United States, it helps these students to realize the only differences are government and it has nothing to do with the people,? she said.
Smith said she will never forget the time a student from France said he was under the impression that the United States didn’t like French people and that he was led to believe that French people were rude to people from the United States. ‘It was great seeing that student change his misconceptions,? said Smith.
Another misconception Smith said is students from other countries believe everyone in the United States is very rich.
‘The host families who take in these foreign exchange students aren’t rich, they just have big hearts. I think most rich people don’t have time to do this because they are working all of the time. My student from Korea keeps me laughing all of the time, he is so funny.?