Every year Arrowhead welcomes foreign exchange students from around the world to the campus, and during the 2024-25 school year, Matilde Fava is one of them. Mati is from Falconara Marittima, Italy.
“My hometown is on the sea and has just streets with houses on the side but not like the ones here,” Mati said. “Everything is closer and just squished. I can go to the gym walking, the grocery store walking, and hang out with my friends walking. Everything is close to my house.” Her hometown also has cats, dogs, and big rats; some rats are bigger than her dog.
“I’ve always said that as soon as I can, I want to study outside of Italy,” Mati said about what made her decide to become a foreign exchange student. “It’s always been my dream, and I’ve always loved the English language.”
Mati’s favorite class here has been Spanish 3. “I’ve always wanted to learn languages; it’s what I like to do. In Italy, I didn’t choose a high school where you could study languages which I regret. I chose a scientific high school, which was the hardest one.”
“I miss everything from my country. I miss going to my grandma’s and having spaghetti with salsiccia [an Italian sausage]. I’ve been craving real food.”
Although Mati’s exchange program only allows the students to contact their families once a week, she makes the most of it. “I can’t use my actual phone number when I talk to my family, so I have to use WhatsApp, where I can call or video call.”
As the first semester comes to a close, Mati has enjoyed the first half of her exchange and is looking forward to the next half.
