Foreign exchange student Kajo Krummenacher, from Lucerne, Switzerland, will be traversing the halls and the classes of Montevallo High School this year.
    Krummenacher had to travel over 4000 miles from his homeland, a landlocked country in Western Europe, to get to the U.S.
    Life in the U.S. is proving to be different from what Krummenacher is accustomed.
    “The U.S. is much wider,” Krummenacher said.  “There is more space, and it’s much warmer and humid.  Also, the people are less reserved here.”
    Krummenacher’s school in Switzerland, which includes grades 7-12, is located near the picturesque Lake Lucerne.
    “My school back is much bigger,” Krummenacher said.   “There are about 1800 students.”
    Krummenacher has one younger sister and one younger brother, and they all attend the same school.
    Krummenacher’s favorite subjects are science and math.  He speaks four different languages including Swiss German, German, English and French.
    For fun, Krummenacher likes to play sports, go hiking and geocaching, which is basically a GPS-based treasure hunt.
    While here in the U.S. Krummenacher wants to see many aspects of the U.S.
    “I want to visit Washington, D.C., and have many experiences,” Krummenacher said.
    One of the major differences Krummenacher sees here from the Switzerland is the food.
    “The bread is much sweeter here—something I’m not used to,” Krummenacher says.
    He also points out that there are a lot of fast food restaurants here in the U.S.
    “We only really have a McDonalds and Burger King in Switzerland,” Krummenacher said.  “Some of my favorite food here is the fast food; there are so many choices.”
    To keep in touch with his friends and family back home, Krummenacher uses FaceTime, Skype and e-mail.
    MHS students have an opportunity to learn of another culture through Krummenacher’s visit, as well as teaching him something of the American way of life.
    “Having foreign exchange students visit MHS is really cool,” junior Alex Buttgereit said.  “We get to learn about another country, and Kajo is really nice, and I’m glad to get the opportunity to know him.”