Valerie Entenmann, senior, has made the journey from Stuttgart, Germany, to attend KHS during the 2018-2019 school year.

Entenmann is a 16-year-old with an open-minded attitude, honest manner, and hopes of a bright future ahead of her.

Having a love for different cultures intrigues Entenmann and sparked an interest in the American lifestyle.

In Stuttgart, she lives with her parents and her 19-year-old sister. 

Entenmann finds the American culture different but not far off from the German culture.

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“It’s different, but not that different,” Entenmann said. “It’s kind of the same except everything is huge like the supermarkets and the malls. There’s also a lot of school spirit, and it’s more open to everyone.”

She currently is staying with the Griffin family who reside in Davison.

“I love my host family,” Entenmann said. “I’m so thankful that they chose me to live with them.”

Although she misses her family in Germany, Entenmann’s friends and host family keep her happy.

“I haven’t been homesick yet,” Entenmann said. “Of course, I love my family, but my host family and my friends make me happy everyday and prevent me from getting homesick.”

Entenmann plans to attend college in Germany, and she wants to become a lawyer.

Comparing schools, Entenmann likes Kearsley better than her school back home.

“In Germany, we don’t have every subject everyday,” Entenmann said. “We have a different type of schedule. School is shorter and we don’t have activities like sports. Schools don’t offer that.”

While at KHS, Entenmann has made many friends, including her best friend junior Maddie Alpin.

Alpin met Entenmann in her French class when their teacher introduced Entenmann to the class.

The two clicked almost immediately.

In their free time together, Alpin and Entenmann hang out with mutual friends and go to the movies.

“She’s an all-around amazing person,” Alpin said. “We hang out outside of school all the time. We do a variety of things.

“I think our favorite thing to do is go to the movies with our friends, but we hang out with our friends at her house, too.”

Entenmann also plays the violin in a local orchestra.

“I really like playing for the Flint Youth Symphony Orchestra,” Entenmann said. “It’s impressive to see how everyone works together to create music. I’m thankful to be able to be a part of this ensemble.”

Madame Kim Rouvelin, French teacher, finds Entenmann a pleasure to have in her class and believes she has a lot of courage.

“Valerie’s a very good student. She fits in well in our class,” Rouvelin said. “While quiet and sometimes reserved, she is not afraid to speak up. She is willing to share her knowledge with others, which is great.

“Her willingness to leave the comforts of home to come learn about our culture and language is proof of great courage in a young person. We are very lucky to have her with us this year.”