On May 24, foreign exchange student Ana Worpvik will be heading home to Norway after spending a year as a member of the senior class of 2016.

“I’m leaving very soon and I have less than a month left. My mom and dad are coming the 11th to be here for my graduation, meet my friends and host-family, and see where I’ve been living and what I’ve been up to for the past year,” Worpvik said. “I can’t wait to see them again and I’m so excited for them to meet my friends.”

American graduations are more elaborate than Norwegian graduations.

“I’m super excited about graduation. We don’t really have a big ceremony like this in Norway, so it’s really cool to experience this and do it the way I’ve seen it in the American movies,” Worpvik said.

From participating in school sports to the classroom environment itself attending Parkway West High has been a different but exciting experience for Worpvik.

“Being a student here has been great! I love the people and it will be really sad to leave. While I’ve been here I’ve tried cheerleading, I was in the school musical and now I’m doing track,” Worpvik said. “What’s different about high schools in the U.S. is that you have school sports. In Norway we don’t have that, so you would sign up for a club if you wanted to do a sport. I think having school sports are great because you get to know so many people and it bring people closer.”

In addition to the variations between a Norwegian and American graduation and school, summer break is also slightly different for exchange students.  

“The summer break in Norway starts in the end of the June, so I’m just going to relax for a month once I’m home, meet up with all my friends, and spend a lot of time with my family,” Worpvik said. “I am going on a trip to Greece too. I’m going to try and get back in shape so I can do gymnastics again, and probably work a little.”

Next year, Worpvik does not plan on attending college because in the Norweign school system students attend high school for five years.  

“In one way it kind of stinks that I have another year of school, but at the same time it’s really nice to spend that year with all of my friends that I’ve known all my life and graduate with them,” Worpvik said.

Worpvik’s has not yet decided what  field she wants to pursue in college.  

“I think knowing what you want to become is really hard, and I’m one of those who is still wondering. So many different things have crossed my mind, like working in the military, nurse, actress, police so I really have no idea yet. I would love to do something where I get to travel and meet new people,” Worpvik said.