Foreign exchange student Max Klimt expected to gain a lot when he arrived from Germany. He just didn’t expect to pack on the pounds … a whopping 15 pounds since the beginning of the school year.
“I weighed 150 pounds when I got here and now I’m 165,” says Klimt. “I’m not concerned yet. I like it here, but you seem to have about 300 different kinds of fast food stops everywhere. Where I’m from, we only have about four. But I do like the food.”
Klimt is from the town of Hadamar, which has about 13,000 residents. When he enrolled in an exchange student program he told organizers he just had to come to California. His host family lives near Foothill High.
“This is a great experience,” says the 16-year-old Klimt. “The kids here were all excited when they learned they have a German exchange student so it was pretty easy making friends. I like this school very much and the kids are very nice. I’m learning a lot and my English has gotten better since I’ve been here. The culture is more diverse here than where I’m from, but I find that teenagers are basically the same.”
Klimt began learning English in third grade. He also speaks Latin and Swedish.
“The high school system here is really different,” he says. “It’s easier. I’m taking English 11, pre-calculus, German IV, human anatomy, history and ceramics. I have a 4.0 grade point average. I worked harder in school in Germany where we are assigned classes from first through 13th grade. We have to take English beginning in the third grade. We take math until we’re finished with school, and we have to take at least two foreign languages. Also, our classes change every day. Here, you’re in the same classes day after day.”
Surprisingly, he says life now is just about what it was like in Germany—except for football.
“We don’t have too much football at home so I went to every single school game,” says Klimt. “I really like football. I think it’s great.”
Klimt is a member of Foothill’s German club and also played soccer. He wants to be as involved as he can in school events.
Staying busy helps him cope when he gets homesick.
“It was frustrating leaving friends and family behind in Germany,” says Klimt. “I stay in touch. They want to know if people here treat me nice and if I’m good in school. I do miss my family, friends and hometown.”
Still, he expects it’s going to be hard to leave when the school year ends.
“I like the weather, of course. I like the Sacramento area. You have a lot of fast food. And the kids are very nice. It’s been a great experience. I would definitely recommend it to other students.”