Showcase Exeter Diversity: Islands

Flags from all around the world hang from students’ dorm windows and represent PEA’s diverse student population. These international students bring unique and fresh perspectives to the discussion-based classrooms of Exeter.Some students come from islands such as Bermuda, Guam, Kuala Lumpur, Jamaica and Jakarta, where their heritages differ from Exeter’s as much as its climates. Although these students have different upbringings than their American counterparts, they serve a major role on the Exeter campus.Upper Sophia Collis even goes as far as to say that America is very similar to her home. “The culture between America and Bermuda is not as different as many would think,” Collis said. “Here, I totally feel culturally accepted. My friends here are very similar to the ones I have at home, so I felt it was no problem fitting in at Exeter.”Senior Luke Browne from Jamaica shares similar sentiments. “Jamaica is heavily influenced by American culture so we don't have any major differences,” Browne said. He noted, however, that “Jamaicans tend to be more frank than Americans.”Guam, although an American territory, has unique cultural aspects that share few similarities with America. “Guam is just so different from the mainland that it's not uncommon for people to forget we are under the same flag,” Michelle Ysrael, an upper from Guam, said. “We have our own indigenous people called Chamorros who speak their own language.”Prep Hillary Aristotle highlighted some of the major differences between her home Jakarta and America. “Definitely when I came here, some things came as a shock to me. First of all, people here are so much more open,” Aristotle said. “In Indonesia, you wouldn't normally greet a stranger, but here it's totally okay to do so. At first, coming here was a little scary, but once I actually arrived the fear just went away.”Aristotle added that the American adolescent culture seems a lot more progressive when compared to the one at her home. “I suppose knowing that kissing here is normal in the adolescent age was a little weird to me, just because Indonesia is so sheltered about all these things,” she said. “I was so shocked when I heard that my friend, who's also a prep, had her first kiss already.”Upper Victoria Hewitt from the Philippines pointed out the dissimilarities between the American and Philippine culture and described how hectic and more chaotic the Philippines are. “Traffic law, if it even exists, is also loosely followed in the Philippines. I rarely crossed streets outside of very Western areas out of fear,” Hewitt said. “Filipinos also tend to be happier people than Americans. They're always laughing and sharing and singing and dancing. It’s great.”Aristotle stated that besides the cultural differences, adjusting to the American food took the most time. “The hardest part was the food. Here food is so bland! It's just salt and pepper. But back home, there are so many different spices used in so many different dishes,” she said. “Now I'm starting to miss Indonesian food really badly. I hadn't realised how much I loved it until I came here.”Nevertheless, all these students have seamlessly adjusted to Exeter. “My cultural transition was quite comfortable. In fact, I'd say that transitioning to Exeter was easier than my transition to any of the international schools I've attended in my life,” Aristotle said. “People at Exeter tend to have a genuine concern for the emotions of others, as well as a sincere desire to learn and grow. These things put together form a community in which most are kind and accepting to every new student. I remember arriving here and thinking, ‘Wow. People are so nice.’”