German exchange student Hannah Gövert is looking forward to a great adventure while attending Burroughs in the United States.
“I just wanted this my whole life!” said Gövert, who is taking junior-level classes. “It was my dream to live the American teenage life.”
Inspired by her friends and videos, Gövert took the leap to become an exchange student and found herself in Ridgecrest. After traveling from Lower Saxony, a northern region in Germany, Gövert said Ridgecrest is taking some getting used to.
“It was a big change, everything is so huge!” said Gövert. “The food, the stores, and this school feel so much bigger.”
Lower Saxony — green, fertile, and densely populated as a region — offers a much different physical environment compared to Ridgecrest. Summers, for instance, are typically 30 to 35 degrees milder back home.
Before she could fully adjust to the new climate, scenery, and people, Gövert found herself immersed in the daily life at Burroughs, which she says is “super different” compared to the German schools she is used to. Rather than offering the same six classes for a whole year, the day-to-day schedule back home works differently. Students take more classes, and the classes change every day.
“Last year, I had, like, sixteen classes,” said Gövert. “We do more stuff, there’s more information, and we work more by ourselves, but here it is super chill.”
Working in the classroom, Gövert enjoys her elective classes and the accommodating teachers.
“I think Film Production class is my favorite class so far, and Mrs. Arrieta and Mrs. Shermer are my favorite teachers,” she said. She specifically noted Shermer’s support in math.
“She is kind to me, she helps me a lot,” she said.
Many students have been just as nice, like senior Julia Nguyen and junior Jordyn Phillips, with whom she shares a U.S. History class.
“From what I’ve seen in class, she is smart and always hardworking,” Phillips said.
For Nguyen, Gövert is a fun companion in Financial Algebra 2.
“I very much enjoy Hannah’s presence,” said Nguyen. “She always has something interesting to bring to the table. She’s unique, honest, and I’m glad we met. Can’t wait to make more memories with her!”
To maximize her visit, Gövert aims to explore her surroundings.
“[I want to be] collecting memories, experiences, just having fun. I also want to go to LA or Hollywood, and I just want to explore as many things as I can. I want to go to homecoming, prom, and a lot of events or activities.”
Counselor Shari Rosenberg oversees the exchange student program at Burroughs. She sees Gövert as having the ideal attitude to make the most of her experience.
“I absolutely love her!” said Rosenberg. “She is super friendly and enthusiastic about wanting to make friends in Ridgecrest.”
Rosenberg would love for more students and families to get an opportunity to participate in the program and encourages anyone who is interested to reach out to [email protected].
