Adrian Schoofs wanted the foreign exchange student experience but it just about didn’t happen.
“Due to COVID they needed to place one third of last year’s (foreign exchange) students needed placement. Host families didn’t want to host this year. Many schools wouldn’t take students because of COVID. I had some friends that couldn’t go,” explained Schoofs.
Finally his dad went to source he was familiar with, the Sheffield family. Adrian’s half sister, Hanna Klose, was a foreign exchange student in 2015 and was hosted by the Sheffield’s.
His dad called to “ask Mr. Sheffield if he knew anyone who would take me and Mr. Sheffield said they would take me.”
Schoofs, from Duesseldorf, Germany stated that his main goal in coming was to improve his English.
His sister, Hanna, was the catalyst in this adventure, “She really liked it and she told me a lot about it. I am kind of the only one (in my family) who doesn’t speak fluent English.”
Schoofs spent a week in Chicago when he was younger but this is his first visit on his own to America. He really likes the food and the fact that “everyone can drive. After (football) practice I always have a ride home.”
Although he does not have host siblings at the Sheffield’s things are “going great. I’m not really often home, only for a few hours. Most of the stuff I do at home is sleeping and eating.”
He does miss his family and friends at home, and soccer. He plays right wing on a soccer club team. He has learned a lot about American football since he got here, as he is a student manager on the Exeter-Milligan/Friend football team.
He has been to two Husker games so far and will do some traveling with the Sheffield’s. He is looking forward to basketball season and plans to run the 100 meter dash in track.
Unfortunately he will have to redo this school year when he returns home but many of his friends are doing exchange programs so he won’t be alone in his classes.
Schoofs expressed that he hoped that this experience would help in his chosen career, law, “I can study law in the Netherlands in English.”
He hopes to see his parents in the Spring when they visit America. He feels pretty comfortable here, “People here are very nice because it’s a small town. Everyone knows each other and you do a lot together. It’s so different from a big city as you don’t know each other even though you are living not far away.”
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