Flying from across the Atlantic, Croatian exchange student Judita “Judi” Voscon is thrilled to be opening a fresh page in her new chapter as an international student studying abroad in America. She is this year’s recipient of the American Secondary Schools for International Students and Teachers (ASSIST) scholarship that allows students to engage in international studies.
Voscon is from a small town called Rovinj on the Istria peninsula in the northern coast of Croatia. Before she came to Trinity, Voscon attended high school at Zvane Crnja. Coming to America with English as a second language didn’t discourage Voscon from beginning her adventure away from home.
“We start learning English in the first grade, which means I’ve been learning it for 10 years,” Voscon said. “It wasn’t hard at all. I enjoyed English, and [America has] such a huge movie industry. Most of the movies I watched were in English, so that’s how I learned quicker.”
During her first semester at Trinity, Voscon is living with the Gifford family.
“Ms. Hay knows that my family is a musical family,” junior Lydia Gifford said. “We all play instruments, and she knew that Judi was musical too [so] she was like, ‘you guys should look into this.’”
Voscon enjoys playing the classical guitar in her free time, and the Giffords surprised her with a classical guitar as a welcome gift.
“They had one laying around the house and were like, ‘OK, here you are! Enjoy!’” Voscon said.
Gifford was at first nervous about having someone from outside of her family living in their house for such a long time, but she was open to trying new things and is now glad that she made the decision to host Voscon.
“I’m much more likely to clean my room and do the dishes and practice the piano because I know that she’s around, and I want to be a ‘good American citizen,’” Gifford said. “Our routine has definitely changed, but she’s adjusted well to our crazy lifestyle.”
The Giffords gave Voscon a warm welcome at the Orlando airport with a colorful sign with her name on it and a bouquet of flowers. After they came home from the airport, the Giffords were planning on making lasagna for dinner that night, which also happened to be Voscon’s favorite food. Voscon joined Lydia Gifford and her younger sister Lorelei in preparing the meal for the family.
Each year, Ms. Hay always puts a lot of thought into choosing the family who gets the opportunity to host the ASSIST student.
“[The committee] tries to make sure that they’re gonna be comfortable in your home and that they’re not gonna feel like the odd one out,” Gifford said. “So it’s important to find a family as similar as possible just so that they’re comfortable, and it could be a home away from home.”
At school, Voscon is a member of the choir, but hopes to be more involved in campus clubs and activities as the year progresses.
“If there’s a talent show, I would love to play my guitar if I feel I’m good enough,” Voscon said. “I enjoy music and every aspect of music.”
Apart from fine arts, Voscon also used to play basketball and enjoys watching TV in her free time. Some of her favorite shows include “How I Met Your Mother”, “The Big Bang Theory”, “Mad Men”, “Orange is the New Black” and “New Girl”.
When she arrived in the states, Voscon noticed many differences in the social interactions of those from the U.S. and her hometown.
“I would say you guys are extremely friendly even to people you don’t know that well,” Voscon said. “In Croatia, people are more reserved toward strangers. [Americans] are very polite.”
Apart from the social aspect, America also differs from Croatia in terms of the education system. As opposed to America’s regular, Honors and AP courses, Croatia has multiple high school options to choose from, but once students pick one of those options, they all enroll in the same level of that specific course. Students will generally take the same level of science, mathematics or social studies courses regardless of academic strength, since there is only one level available.
While class options are a strong difference, there is also a noticeable difference in the use of technology. America makes a much greater use of electronics in order to enhance the learning experience.
“In Croatia, I’ve never used a laptop in school, but it’s a nice change,” Voscon said.
Not only are learning tools a huge difference, but also, Voscon points out that student-teacher interaction is more active in America than in Croatia.
“[Teachers] expect more from you and more feedback,” Voscon said. “They don’t want you to be a passive listener and want you to contribute in class.”
In Croatia, academics and extracurriculars are separated. Croatian schools have clubs like drama and choir, but much less emphasis is placed on them. Croatia values academic performance more than activities that students participate in outside of of the classroom.
Although Voscon has not been at Trinity for long, she has already developed a sense of what she enjoys about the campus and atmosphere.
“The view of the lake is breathtaking,” Voscon said. “I really like all of the professors. They’re all very polite, accessible, and friendly, [and] the students are very keen on helping everybody.”
Since an early age, Voscon has always had a interest and appreciation for American culture. So when the opportunity came about to study abroad, she jumped at the chance. She originally heard about the program from another girl from her hometown who was one of the chosen recipients for the scholarship. A Croatian representative from ASSIST gave a presentation at her school which only spiked her interest even more.
The process of the application required a lot of paperwork. Alongside that, Voscon had to take a test and sit in two interviews with the board of the scholarship. The program ideally searches for students who are well-rounded and aren’t only interested in academics, but have other activities and passions outside of school-related things.
While Voscon is in the states, she has a bucket list of activities that she’d like to do before she goes back home.
“I want to go to Disney World. I would like to see Universal Studios and the Floridian beaches,” Voscon said. “I’ve heard they’re wonderful.”
Voscon is looking forward to life in America, filled with new experiences and friendships. She is excited to see what the school year brings as she embarks on her journey as a new Saint.
