McConnellsburg High School - Sparta / Flashlites Yearbook (McConnellsburg, PA)

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26 Foreign Exchange

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Ryoko Oshiro ( Ryo to her friends) arrived in the home of Glenn and Connie Cordell just before school started in August following a 20 hours + trip from her home in Ginowan, Okinawa, an island two hours south of Tokyo which is now governed by Japan. She left behind parents who were very protective, a fifteen-year old brother named Hideki (a scamp”) and a nine-year old sister named Itsuko (an angel ). Ryo came to the United States for three reasons: she wanted to experience American life, meet new people and learn to speak English. When she returns to Okinawa, she faces a year and a half of high school and four years of college to prepare her for a career as an English teacher. There's a chance that Ryo will be spending another year in the U.S. if her mother can find a host family. Ryo thinks that American teenagers look older, act more independent, and are more career-oriented than she had imagined. Some of that has rubbed off, too. Ryo says she has learned to be more independent, to speak English much better, to enjoy her freedom and to appreciate her parents more. I love my parents now, she said. Back home, Ryo attends a private school where the emphasis is on learning. There are no extracurricular Above — Ryo never goes anywhere without her trusty dictionary. Left — Ryo's always ready to give the camera a smile. events such as sports and dances. Here Ryo became an immediate fan of soccer, worked out with the girls' basket- ball team and joined track. Blessed with an excellent voice, Ryo is a member of the Chorus and she is also talented at playing keyboard instruments. Of all extra- curricular activities, Ryo is most fond of school dances. There is nothing like it at home, she says; I really love the dances here! Christmas was a special time for Ryo. It meant her first live Christmas tree ( the smell!!!! ), a more family-orient- ed celebration, more gifts and lots of good food. Too much, I stuffed and stuffed. Ryo counts Algebra, Spanish and English among her favorite subjects and enjoyed a trip to Spain and one to Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario while she was here. What will she miss? All these friends for many rea- sons. Some I confide in, like Rachel; some I compare notes with, like Lena; and some, like Amy, are just lots of fun! Oh and pie, I will miss Mrs. Cordell's great pie! Foreign Exchange 27