“I am very glad to be in Green Bay. It’s a great place as well as a great community,” said Manami Hikita, a Japanese exchange student at NDA who is currently a junior.

Hikita was born and raised in Japan, which is a place with very different cultures than in the United States. But, she decided to study in the U.S. because it would be a good opportunity for her future. 

“My parents thought it would be a good idea to come here, and I am the one who made the final decision,” she explained.

They chose a few schools for her to choose from, and she decided to attend Notre Dame Academy. “Green Bay is a great city!” she said.

She was nervous at first to live in a completely different environment because of the difficulties in English and overall system, but she was still very excited. 

However, she is now used to it and is very glad to be here. Her English skills have improved, and she has adapted to the environment of the school.

One tip she would give to other exchange students is to “be involved in activities and ask help when you are struggling” because that helped her a lot.

Even though her experience has been great, Hikita said that experiencing the cold winter was very rough. “I was very surprised when I first experienced the cold winter and a lot of snow.”

Another downside she thought when she first came was the school’s dress code. “I would rather not wear a uniform every day,” she said.

But Hikita overall loves her new life in Green Bay and Notre Dame Academy. “The best thing about Green Bay would be the close relationship as a whole community.”

She also said that “the students and teachers have been very kind, and I appreciate that a lot.”

On top of that, she was able to take advantage of all the opportunities being offered to her in the U.S. For example, Hikita was in a band in Japan, but she was able to expand her musical career experience here.

“Here, I have learned different types of music like Jazz and Brass, and I have even performed in a musical. It is all a great experience.” Her engagement in other school activities also made her time memorable. 

She was also very thankful to be able to choose her own classes because schools in Japan do not offer this option, at least to some extent.

Hikita went back to Japan this summer to visit her friends and family. “I miss it, but I really like my life in the U.S. as well,” she said.

In the future, Hikita is not sure where she wants to go to college. She is applying to colleges in many countries, but thinks university in the U.S. is a great option for her future scientific-related career.

But for now, she is still focused on high school. She is very glad to have made the decision to come here, especially because it taught her an important lesson.

“I’ve learned to become open-minded. As I stay in places that I am not very familiar with, being open-minded and enjoying the different cultures was very important to me.”