Student life can vary consistently. While some students stay after school participating in clubs or sports, others seek out opportunities for different kinds of enrichment. For senior Kelsey Christensen, her desired activity meant going abroad.

Christensen took part in a foreign exchange trip with the Rotary Club during her junior year. For her trip, Christensen traveled to Thailand, where she lived with multiple families and attended school.

“My school was very strict and didn’t let us do certain things. Our nails couldn’t be long or painted, our socks had to be a certain length, our hair couldn’t have split ends. They would cut it for you if you had split ends on the day they checked for it. No cell phones—they patted down every student and checked their backpack, no jewelry and we wore uniforms. I went to school six days a week from 8 to 4 p.m. Also, at school, instead of the students moving to different classes, it is the teachers that move,” said Christensen.

While living there, Christensen had many memorable experiences, like riding an elephant and holding a monkey on her shoulder. Living in a different culture than she was used to was both an eye-opening and wonderful experience. Christensen said that her trip helped her become more independent and confident in herself.

“It was an awesome experience that I would do again in a heartbeat,” said Christensen.