Panther Creek has been a proud partner of many exchange student programs in Wake County, providing students from different countries and cultures with the opportunity to study in the United States. This school year, the Creek welcomed Miji Kim from South Korea.

Miji entered the school as a Junior, excited about the freedom that being in the United States offers her. She was placed with a host family and made fast friends with her exchange sister, a sophomore at PC.

When asked about her host family, she responded, “My host family is really good because they give me a chance to experience American things like football games and restaurants.” She enjoyed experiencing Friday Night Lights this year and cheering on the football team. She also said she is excited to try new foods: “I’ve never eaten mashed potatoes before… It’s really good.”

There are many differences between American life and Miji’s life in Korea. One such difference was highlighted by Miji as surprising: “There are a lot of buses in my home, but here there are not really buses (in the United States).”

Miji lives in a city in the mountains in South Korea, and it seems to be much more walkable than the American suburbs. When PCNN asked what she would show us in her hometown, she answered, “I would take you downtown because there are lots of stores for clothing and music stores.”

Perhaps the largest difference is the school environment. Miji gave an insightful answer when asked what she would bring from her school culture to the United States: “We [the students] don’t rotate classrooms.” The students stay in the same classroom the whole day, and the teachers rotate classrooms instead. How different would that be from what we’re used to here at PC?

The exchange student process was not difficult for Miji. She said that on her side of the process, “[I had] an English test and an interview, and that’s it.” What was nice about the process was that she could keep her name.

She further described the history behind her name, saying “My name is the same in Korea and here. “We based [our letters] on Chinese characters, so ‘Mi’ means, in Chinese, beautiful, and ‘Ji’ means wisdom.” It is meaningful to her.

Life in America hasn’t been adversity free, though. When asked about some of her struggles, she revealed that the biggest challenge is communication: “I use a different language and letters, so it’s hard for me.” She is working hard to improve her English skills during her time at the Creek, and her new friends have been very helpful.

Overall, Miji has been having a fantastic time playing basketball, trying new activities, and traveling with her host family during her time in the states. She will be at Panther Creek until the end of the school year, and we hope she will continue to make new experiences in the second half of her stay in the United States.