Chiara Avolio, a senior exchange student, claims Italy has some of the most delicious food in the world. After a weekend of shopping, everybody hangs out in the central plaza of Turin where authentic, fresh pasta and pizza are served. What Chiara misses most about Italy are the amazing flavors of her home country, skiing, and her family.

She was surprised when she went to a pharmacy and found out you could get photos printed at the counter. She believes that in America everything is bigger, for example, how large the city blocks are. Chiara is surprised that Americans use cars to go everywhere and rarely walk even if they are going somewhere close by. In Italy, the schools, houses, restaurants, and shops are all within walking distance of each other.

Chiara found out about Saint John Neumann High School through her mother’s colleague. Her daughter came to SJN through the exchange program. After hearing all of the good news about the atmosphere at SJN, the cultural differences, and the opportunity to travel to another country, Chiara was obsessed. Upon telling her parents she wanted to be in the exchange program, they were ecstatic! They were so excited for her to see a new country, meet new people, and learn about different customs. When she graduates, Chiara will return to Italy, and even though we will miss her dearly, her family will be overjoyed to see her again. Upon returning home, Chiara will finish her last year of high school, though she is unsure of her future major.