By: Loren Bhe Cocce

     The morning of February 29 at Oakland Mills High School, I joined the AFS volunteer Ms. Christina Kalbouss McGarvey and the German exchange student Katharina Wicht and met with Dr. Shortridge to give him a certificate of appreciation. Ms. Christina bought some snacks for the teachers and a thank you card with our signatures on it.

     Currently, Oakland Mills has three exchange students; one from Indonesia, one from Germany, and me from the Philippines. We are so proud to be Oakland Mills students. We want to thank the school for being a good host school to us and allowing us to experience what it is like to be American students. The teachers, staff, and students that I interact with are so kind. What I liked the most about OM is that the community has really good spirit. The teachers are also very considerate.

     Over the last ten years years, thirty-six AFS exchange students have attended OMHS, which makes this community a strong supporter of exchange programs. I heard many comments from former exchange students that Oakland Mills is a really good school. I’ve noticed that it’s more diverse than some other schools in the area.

     Thank you so much for being a good part of making our exchange year successful. Now we only have one month left. It’s pretty hard to accept, but I will never forget all the people that I’ve met and gotten to know, the things I’ve experienced, and the groups I’ve joined. The most important thing about Oakland Mills is that it helped me to find a way for a better future even though I will only be here for one year.

     Hopefully, there are many future exchange students coming to and attending OMHS that can experience how great it is to be a Scorpion. Oakland Mills, you’re the best. Thank you so much and God Bless.