Joshua LaBrosse
Attending an American high school can be a difficult challenge for many exchange students who come from different countries around the world. But South African exchange student Jordan Rix, a seventeen year old South African exchange students who attends Oliver Ames High School, has been able to adapt easily to a new school, culture, and surroundings that many exchange students.
Rix is from the South African capital, Pretoria. He decided to leave for a year in order to receive a better education in the United States. From an entirely different culture and school system, Rix has enjoyed the change in school, culture and scenery and has adapted quite well to live in the United States. He has very little to dislike about these new changes he is facing.
“I do not dislike much about school here in the United States. It is a new experience for me and there is not much that I have to complain about,” he says with a wide smirk on his face.
In terms of his academic goals and aspirations, Rix is always trying to challenge himself to be the best student he can be whilst he is enjoying his stay in the United States. One of the major factors of his decision to be an exchange student in the U.S. is his desire to get the best education he can get.
“I decided to challenge myself academically, to make new friends, and to try to earn a scholarship in the United States,” Rix explained with pure confidence.
So far Rix has been enjoying life in the United States and has been having many positive experiences with school and the Oliver Ames Boys Soccer team. Being involved in a team sport has allowed him to make new friends and make the most of his temporary stay at OA where he has nothing but positive things to say about the school system.
“I get to go to school in nice cars, the teachers treat students more like adults, and there are so many nice people in the school. In South Africa, they teach students in a completely different way altogether which made learning harder for me,” he also added, “ I do not dislike much about school here in the United States. It is a new experience for me and there is not much to complain about.”
As a member of the OA boys soccer team, Rix is becoming a very involved student athlete who is motivated by his passion for athletics. As an avid soccer player himself, Rix began to develop this passion from an early age.
“I have been playing soccer since I was 4 years old. Since then it has been my favorite sport that I have been really into for the last couple of years. It felt natural to me,” he said with pure excitement in his tone of voice.
Soccer has been a big part of his life so far. And it has been a huge part of his identity and who he is as a person as well. His passion for the game of soccer is almost unmatched by any of his teammates on the field.
“Soccer is actually my life. It helps me relieve stress, helps me forget about every problem I have in the world, and it allows me to express myself.”
As a student with many passions and ambition, Rix has huge plans for his future in terms of his career choices and his education. His future plans and desires have made him stand out in the large crowd of other OA students who may not know what they want to do in the future.
“If I’m not a soccer player I would want to be a business manager. I want to own a few businesses. I might take over my uncle’s business when he is finished. Maybe I could work for him and then takeover his business to keep it in the family. I would use my businesses to influence more people to make their own businesses and also become a billionaire,” said Rix with a wide, beaming, and confident smile on his face.
When asked about what specific business he would go into, he replied, “I would want to go into clothing design if I were running my own business.”
All of what makes up Rix’s personality and character today is largely due to his upbringing in South Africa. The experiences he has had in his native country have shaped him into the student and person he is to this day.
“Growing up in South Africa is an entirely different experience for me. In South Africa, the music, culture, and my family being involved in a lot of my childhood made for a very good exciting experience growing up,” Rix says with a feeling of nostalgia running through his voice.
Overall, Rix has experienced success and positive results for adapting to life as an exchange student. His wit, intelligence, and passion for school, soccer, and American food, have helped him adapt to a new society and school system.
“My favorite American food has got to be Chick-Fil-A. It was one of the first American restaurants I ate at. Best food of all time,” he exclaimed wildly, jumping slightly from his chair as he answered.
