By Emily Krupicka and Emelia Richling
Clara Krabbe
For international students studying abroad in America, the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted a sense of normalcy and routine. At Northwest, foreign exchange students were asked to return home with very little time to prepare. Senior Clara Krabbe, a foreign exchange student from Denmark, has felt the repercussions of this.
“Things have changed faster than I ever could have imagined. I never thought that this would happen on such a large scale,” Krabbe said.
In the beginning stages of the pandemic, each exchange student was given the opportunity to continue their learning in the United States or return to their home country; however, soon after, students received an email that prompted them to go back home immediately.
“When I learned that I had to leave, I definitely didn’t see it coming; I was very shocked,” Krabbe said.
Although Krabbe’s departure seemed unexpected to many, the unprecedented news was especially surprising for her host family.
“When we got the news about her going home early, we were heartbroken for sure,” said Sophomore Alexis Julesgard, a member of Krabbe’s host family. “The day that she left was so hard for me; it was like I was losing a sister.”
During her stay in America, although cut short, Krabbe made fond memories in Nebraska. Immersing herself in the culture and meeting new people were among the top highlights from her stay.
As Krabbe adjusts to life back in Denmark, she has hopes of returning to America to visit when the pandemic has eased.
Giacomo Sarra
Before the outbreak of the coronavirus, Giacomo Sarra, a foreign exchange student from Italy, had a lot of plans for the remainder of his time at Northwest. Besides receiving his diploma, Sarra was also looking forward to a great soccer season. During this past year, he has been heavily involved in sports, playing football and working as a basketball manager in addition to participating in soccer.
However, when the news broke that schools would be closing, Sarra’s time in America was cut short. The exchange agency informed their students that they would have to return to their respective countries immediately.
“I felt sad about it because I had a lot of plans for the remainder of the experience,” Sarra added.
Not only would Sarra be unable to walk across the stage at graduation, but he would also be unable to play soccer, hang out with his friends and complete the rest of his experience as a typical American teen.
However, Sarra wasn’t the only person who was disappointed that he would have to leave America. Johnny Bangs, a junior, has been a friend of Sarra’s since he came to the United States.
“I was shocked that he had to go back to Italy early, especially when COVID-19 was pretty bad [there],” Bangs said, referring to the fact that Sarra had to leave the United States a little over a month ago when Italy’s numbers were the highest in the world.
Bangs also added that he will miss Sarra and the many memories they have had together, including watching sports events, like the Super Bowl.
“I wish I could tell him that we miss him and hope he can visit soon,” Bangs concluded.
However, now that Sarra is back in Italy, a return date to America is indefinite and improbable in the near future as COVID-19 continues to stall travel. In the meantime, Sarra has been catching up on school work and spending time with his family. Although he was a senior in the United States, he still has one year left of Italian high school.
Once his high school years are behind him, though, Sarra plans to return to the United States.
“I would like to attend college in the U.S. because I like the American culture, and I’ll have the possibility to play soccer at a higher level,” Sarra said.
Even though his time in America was cut short, Sarra has not been deterred about returning to the United States. He hopes that he will be able to come back to America soon and continue creating memories and building friendships.
*Photos Courtesy of Clara Krabbe and Giacomo Sarra
nwvikingsaga 