A Global Touch

Bringing in new cultures, traditions, and perspectives, Jefferson Academy welcomes two new exchange students to the community, adding a global touch to classrooms and friendships.

“I am from Modena City, in the north of Italy,” explained Lamecchi. “[It is] a small to medium city but very important because it is where the most important car brands are from: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, Maserati.”

While Modena is best known for its luxury cars, Lamecchi says life back home wasn’t all about engines and speed. He often spent his time outside with the many beautiful scenes that his town provides.

“My city is close to the sea so during summertime I love to go there, but during winter I always went to the Italian mountains, the Alps, to ski. My favorite tradition is surely Christmas, being that I love the snow,” Lamecchi reflected.

Lamecchi noted that he has made many adjustments, such as adapting to the differences in school athletic programs and the variety of food in America versus Italy. 

“My biggest adjustment is certainly the language,” admitted Lamecci. “I mean learning English in Italy is way more different.”

Joining the varsity soccer team did not just give Lamecchi a way to stay active, but it also gave him some dependable friends at Jefferson Academy. 

“I met Lorenzo outside of school, at 7/11,” recalled Lucas Alverio. “My first impression of him was that he was pretty chill. It was new for him so me and him both connected on that.”

Lamecchi is not the only exchange student at Jefferson Academy this year. Joining him is Osuke Usui from Japan, whose quiet personality hasn’t stopped him from making an impression on classmates. His first observation about Jefferson was simple: the welcoming staff and students.

“Yeah, JA has very good students, and very good teachers as well,” Usui stated.

In sharing his culture, Usui mentioned some of his favorite Japanese traditions that he wishes he could bring to America. For him, these traditions are an important reminder of home and a way of staying connected to his culture even while studying abroad.

“My favorite Japanese tradition or custom would be the food that brings the community together,” Usui explained.

Though he spoke little about himself, Usui’s friends were quick to share what he has brought to the school community. Micha Slofstra had a lot to say about Usui, one of his close friends.

“In my D block, which is State-Specific Studies in Colorado, I thought he was pretty cool,” said Slofstra. “He seemed a little bit lonely, so I tried to reach out to him.”

Usui has developed a close friendship with Slofstra, sharing laughs and experiences that make school days more enjoyable. One example is the nicknames they’ve given each other.

“He calls me D.C. because he thinks I was born in Washington, D.C., and then I call him TK ‘cause he lived in Tokyo,” Slofstra mentioned.

Slofstra reflected that, though there are many memories the two have made so far, his favorite is the projects they do in their D block.

“We have worked on a couple projects together and it’s fun to see the wheels turning in his head, trying to figure out English and helping him learn English,” Slofstra shared. “I think that’s fun because he wants to learn so much and I can be there to help.”