A new school year means meeting new students, and there is one causing a whole lot of buzz. Meet WWT’s newest Titan, Michal Wojdylak! Michal is an exchange student visiting Michigan all the way from Poland. Coming from a town of only 7,500 people off the coast of the Baltic Sea, Michal says arriving in the United States was quite the experience.
“Warren is very organized, like someone used a ruler to divide the city. It is not so organized in Europe,” he explained laughing. The change in geography was something of a marvel for Michal, but when asked what other differences he saw from Europe to America he claimed to notice something odd about American vehicles we often times neglect to notice as it is so normal to us.
“I paid a lot of attention to the [license] plates on the back of cars. They are normally on the front,” he comments with a laugh.
Michal radiated excitement about the opportunity he has seized to attend a school across the ocean from his home in Poland. When asked to comment on his feelings and emotions about such an adventure, Michal had no problem indulging them to me. “People here are very very nice, very kind,” he says with a smile, “People have been so very wonderful to meet.” He goes on to explain how obviously it was a bit intimidating to face a new crowd of people, but the students were more than welcoming and ready to make friends with him.
“A lot of English people are friendly.” As Michal is eager is learn about the culture of American teens, he is ready to educate others on the life and times of himself and his peers’ back home. Michal likes to answer questions about his daily life in his hometown, but he says it feels a bit weird all the same. “It is a little weird to have people searching my name and home on Google.” He waved off an incident in one of history classes where the teacher and students urged him to look up his hometown on Google maps.
Michal, in hopes to get people to feel closer to his culture, is preparing to give presentations on his life and Polish culture. “I hope to educate others on my life [in Poland],” and with a laugh, Michal joked, “I think I brought with me an illegal amount of Polish candy.”
When asked what his favorite things about Tower is so far, Michal hesitated, but then said, “I do not like picking favorites.” He is so happy to just be here that he cannot find it fair to pick something to favor so far. He also said it was too early to find out.
Michal went on to say he is looking forward to a number of things in the upcoming school year such as homecoming, attending sporting events, and the opportunity to partake in the wide array of elective classes in which he does not have the option of taking at his own school back home. Michal explained he wanted to go in the field of Film Production and is glad he can get a head start in school with Tower’s TV Production class. As happy as he is about being in a new school, he also says it feels a bit off. Michal explained how classes at his school are typically 45 minutes and only last for 4 to 8 periods, depending on what classes you take. Also, breaks are ten minutes versus our five. “It will be something to get used too.”
Michal is excited to go through this year here at Warren Woods Tower and hopes to not only immerse himself in the day to day lives we live as American students, but also educate others on the wonderful culture of Poland. As Titan Nation welcomes all, I am sure we can welcome Michal and help him have the best year possible.
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