The United States is known as a great melting pot. It has a long history of immigration and cultural meshing. The country absorbs traditions and makes them it’s own – like St. Patrick’s Day (courtesy of Irish immigrants) or hamburgers (courtesy of the Germans). But while our country’s culture has a little bit of everything, it can still be very different for foreign students. 

Yana Pelesky is from Russia. She’s currently a sophomore at AHS and moved here when she was in fifth grade. She has noticed some differences between Russia and the United States.

“Drugs are legal here,” Pelesky said.

This is true. Possession of cannabis in Russia can land one anywhere from fifteen-day detention to a criminal offense, which is a far cry from Colorado’s liberal stance on cannabis and drugs.

Russia and the United States have had a tense history in the past. One American stereotype was and is that Russians are hardened people. 

“[Aspen] is like a world inside of a world, because you cannot fully take it seriously. The mentality of Aspen is generally very naive. While Russians – they will look for a betrayal, waiting for something to happen,” 

Then there is Margot Compois, a French exchange student. Her exchange is non-traditional, meaning she came last year for the Sister Cities exchange and decided to come back again without a sanctioned program. One of the biggest changes for her was the way school was organized. 

“In France, we have different classes, but we have the same people inside the class and here every time I change the class I change the people,” Compois said. 

Taking a more traditional route is Natalia Melova, who came here on a Rotary Youth Exchange from Slovakia. Slovakia is a small Eastern European country near Russia. It used to be part of Czechoslovakia, and before that, the Ottoman Empire. It’s small – a little smaller than Virginia and only has a population of 5 million people. 

“AHS is a big school for me,” Melova said in an email. “The biggest change is definitely the school system. In my country, you can’t choose subjects (you can only choose between German, Russian and French languages and between religion and ethics) and then you have 12 other subjects. It’s harder to learn 14 different subjects. Also every class is with the same classmates every day.” 

But so far, Melova said she has enjoyed the United States. Currently, she’s on the JV volleyball team and getting an American experience. 

“I think exchange is important for everybody. You become more independent, and you realize that you lived in your bubble (it happened to me). I see how people are different, how cultures are different and that life is not just about me. I made new friends, meet new people. I am more individual. Exchange is a good experience, but exchange can change you. However, you can decide if it will be good or bad change,” Melova said.