Junior Martina Morelli is from Milan, Italy, and arrived in the United States on Aug. 17.
“The people here at Milton have been very nice. My experience has been good here,” she said. Before arriving in the United States, Martina said she didn’t know any of the other exchange students, but began texting Senior Adrian Castellanos three days before arrival. (He is the other exchange student from Spain and is staying with her host family’s extended family, she explained.)
Martina participated in cheerleading in Milton during football season. She said she did tumbling and volleyball in Italy.
“School is different in Italy; we don’t finish at 3 (p.m.), we finish at 1 (p.m.), and the schools don’t offer lunch. We also have to stay with the same class for five years of high school,” Martina said.
Spanish Teacher Ms. Angela Hunter has Martina for Spanish 3. Ms. Hunter said she has never had an Italian exchange student before. “When we get exchange students from Europe, they already know Spanish, but Martina is able to hold a conversation in Spanish,” she added.
“She also is very helpful to students having trouble,” she said. “Both Spanish and Italian are both Romantic languages. When Martina is having trouble with root words, she makes connections to words similar in Italian.”
Martina said the biggest difference between being in Italy than the U.S. is how everyone interacts with each other.” “At restaurants in Italy, they talk to you and act like they’re your friend, but here in America they just try to get tips,” she added.
Martina said that the food here is worse, adding that there is a lot of fast food and junk food. She explained she wasn’t used to it, or that there are very few vegetables here. Martina said her favorite food that she misses from Italy is pasta.
“Here in America everything is so early now. In Italy we have dinner at 8 p.m. and now in America, it’s at 5 p.m. normally. Five in Italy would be snack time,” she added.
Martina is staying with Kendra and Marcus Wilt, and their preschool daughter Kenadee.
“After I am done with high school, I plan on coming back to America possibly for college,” Martina added.
