Michela Rodondi: From Italy to Lancaster

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Nine hours. The time it would take for Michela (me-KAY-luh) Rodondi (ROE-dohn-dee) to travel to school at Lampeter-Strasburg.

Michela Rodondi joins L-S
as an exchange student from
Italy
That is, if she decided to travel from Italy every day. Fortunately for her, that is not the case. Rodondi has decided to take on the exciting challenge of going to school in a foreign country for one year. Her country: The United States. Her school: Lampeter-Strasburg High School.

Departing her mother, father, and older brother, Michela arrived at the end of August to begin experiencing life in Lancaster. From joining the tennis team to registering for interesting classes such as Music Theory and Environmental Science, Michela is excited to try new things, do well in school, and make new friends -- all with a smile on her face. She is residing with the Vesey family in Willow Street.

Rodondi is 17 and will be in 12th grade. As this would also be her last year of schooling in Italy, she will be graduating from Lampeter-Strasburg as a Class of 2016 Pioneer.

When asked why she decided to come to the United States, Rodondi responded quickly, saying, “It has always been my dream.”

Rodondi has previously watched classmates travel to places such as Germany in exchange programs, prompting her to think, “Why not?”

With Rodondi’s ambition and positive attitude, she will be a great addition to the Pioneer family. If you see her around, be sure to say hello. She is very excited to meet new people, but admits she is afraid to get lost at school -- be sure to lend her a hand with that too.

In her native Italian, Rodondi says, “I can’t wait to experience the American life.”

Editor's Note: Michela is one of four foreign exchange students at Lampeter-Strasburg this year. Also spending a year attending the high school are Mette Smaland (Norway), Emelia Heiss (Germany), and Agustina Mansur (Argentina). During the course of the year, LSNews.org will profile each of them and their experiences at L-S. --BP

--Mackenzie Miller, LSNews.org Senior Staff Writer

 Edited: BP

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