Emma Lombardo is a foreign exchange student that comes from a small island named Sicily, off the bottom coast of Italy; she describes herself as a very friendly, funny, calm, happy, energetic, compassionate, and understanding person. She describes her time here at Blackfoot High School as, “Very fun and very different, I feel so free, I feel like I can do whatever I want without any boundaries”. Emma describes her experience so far as something like never before and she is grateful for getting the opportunity to come here to a whole new world. “I am very happy that I am able to come here to a place full of new opportunities, people, and education. I am glad I have been able to make new friends and meet people I never thought I could meet before.” Emma likes everything about BHS, whether it’s the students, staff, or subjects, she finds everything interesting and enjoyable. Her only concern is how cold some classrooms can be at times, very relatable you can say. 

Emma loves the friends she has in Italy and the new ones she has met this year as a foreign exchange student. Her most definite favorite thing about Italy is the food. Emma says she would definitely go back home right now if given the opportunity because, “I came here for the chance at experiencing a whole new opportunity and freedom and so far it’s been amazing. I am happy I made the decision to come here, because this is something that can’t be refused and not experienced”. Emma has quite a few hobbies she likes doing, she says she enjoys going to the gym and working out, especially here in the U.S. where she feels like she’s a lot more active than in Italy. Emma enjoys talking and hanging out with her friends too, but when she isn’t doing any of those she spends her time playing with her foreign exchange family’s baby girl, whom she calls baby sister. Emma also enjoys studying and participating in college activities to prepare her for the future as she hopes to become a translator. Emma’s favorite music artist is 21 Savage, a really amazing taste of music from her I got to say so myself, it’s really interesting how music artists can be popular in different countries despite singing in a different language.

More about Emma, when asked what are some differences between Italy and the U.S. she had this to say, “School in Italy is much different, we go to school 6-7 times a week and the subjects are much different than what they teach here. The houses where I live are all close together while the majority of the houses here in the U.S. have yards and open space. The boys here in the U.S. are a lot more shy and timid, and in Italy the boys aren’t shy to talk to and express themselves. Halloween in Italy only consists of babies and infants, and overall I feel much more free here than my home.” And finally, when asked if there is someone she looks up to, she said there was not a person she looked up to, but she is really proud of herself for traveling here to BHS as a foreign exchange student.

In the end, Emma is a very unique and kind girl who loves meeting new people and experiencing the new opportunities given to her on the other side of the world. She is more than grateful for coming here to BHS not just because it’ll help her education, but because of giving her the opportunity to meet new people and friends. Emma is an amazing example on why being grateful about the things in life makes your life much more fulfilling.