Foreign Exchange Student Maria Cavanna Comes To Ulysses

When Maria Cavanna’s parents first asked her if she wanted to spend a year in the United States as a part of the Foreign Exchange Student Program, she said “no.” Maria said she was not sure if she would enjoy spending a year away from her family in Madrid, Spain, but she decided to give it a chance after many people told her she would love the experience.

Officially arriving to Ulysses on August 22, Maria is now a sophomore at Ulysses High School. Maria said, “One of the things that impressed me is the differences we have between this high school and my school in Madrid.” In Madrid, Maria and her classmates had to wear school uniforms. “We have much more homework and exams,” Maria said. “Instead of changing to another class for different subjects, we have one class, and the different teachers come to our class depending on the subject we have,” Maria added. Maria also explained some differences between Madrid and Ulysses, “Madrid is a noisy city with a lot of people, and we have a lot of shops, malls, buildings, offices, etc.” Transportation is something that surprised Maria as well. “We don’t drive until we are 18 years old in Madrid, we normally go by bus, subway, or train,” Maria said.

So far, Maria has enjoyed meeting new people, saying that everyone is super nice here. Maria loves the high school and the plans she has been making with her new friends. “I am so excited to go to homecoming, and do the musical in April,” Maria said.

Maria enjoys reading, listening to music, spending time with her friends, playing tennis, and joining the school musical. She has traveled to the Caribbean, France, Italy, Portugal, and England. In the future, Maria would like to become a teacher, form a family, and give her children the same opportunity with the Foreign Exchange Program.

Maria said, “I have just been here for a few weeks, and I don’t want this experience to finish. I am having a great time here, and it makes me very sad to think that in nine months I will have to go back to Spain.”