Chloe Kinzig ’14: The Episcopal Academy is welcoming eager exchange students from the countries of China, South Africa, Spain, Australia, and Norway for the duration of this academic year, a fact that demonstrates yet another successful year for the foreign exchange program.
“The short of it is, why not! I am always looking to broaden my perspective and I can’t resist challenges,” commented Joanie Hofmeyr ’14, when asked why she chose a yearlong exchange program. Hofmeyr can be recognized by her powerful voice and unmistakable accent, but Maria Burke ’14, Hofmeyr’s student host, described her as “not shy at all, brave, and relatable.” Hofmeyr hails from the small town of Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo province of South Africa where she lives with her mother, father, older brother, and sister.
The faculty of Episcopal surprised Hofmeyr because “they are so friendly and informal, they don’t scold you, they are very cool with you, and I’m not afraid of them.”
Hofmeyr admitted, “I like to sing and it’s not really contemporary stuff, so it’s always a little bit scary to put myself out there,.
Hofmeyr was also stunned by the bucolic landscape of southeastern Pennsylvania, She remarked, “I didn’t know that it was like a huge forest. I guess I just expected more city.”
Though experiencing a new culture can be exhilarating, Hofmeyr indicated that she does get homesick. “I miss being with my mom,” she elaborated, “and being able to get advice from my parents because their advice is always insightful for how well they know me; I miss something about South African spirit you just found on the street… I miss feeling at home with my people.”
In addition to Hofmeyr, Julie Lieungh has become a familiar face in the junior class. Lieungh is from Asker, Norway, where she resides with her mother, father and two little sisters. When describing home, Lieungh said, “I go to public school in Norway, and I walk every single day to school for 20 minutes.”
The exchange program intrigued Lieungh because “It’s a once in a lifetime experience. I wanted to learn the English language better so that it comes more naturally.”
The transition to Episcopal was smooth for Lieungh. “The teachers [at Episcopal] are really there for you;” she clarified, “they will schedule appointments with you. [Episcopal students] are always nice to new people, while in Norway we are more skeptical.”
Another difference between Norway and Episcopal students that shocked Lieungh were backpacks. “In Norway, we don’t wear backpacks,” she explained, “only nerds do.”
A friend of Lieungh’s, Ashley Mauch ’14 described the Norwegian as “super sweet and very open to American customs and culture.” Due to her affable personality Lieungh has already made many friends at Episcopal. In fact, she confessed, “I haven’t been homesick yet… the only thing I miss is my dog because he’s always there and so happy.”
Although students have come to know him as Philip, in Shenyang, China he is known as Zhouyu Lu. In China, Lu attends the Northeast Yucai School, a sister school of Episcopal.
Lu is an only child and lives with his parents on the 22nd floor of an apartment building. He is surrounded by his extended family; his grandparents live on the 19th floor, his aunt on the 16th, and his uncle on the 25th.
Lu had a long list of reasons as to why he wanted to come to Episcopal and the United States. “I heard from my school mates… that Episcopal Academy is one of the best private schools in America. Also, I wanted to experience the American culture, learn the English language, and meet new people. I like travelling, and I hope to go to college in the US,” he explained.
Lu has surprised that “everyone looks so comfortable and so happy” in the United States. He was also shocked at the array of sports available at Episcopal.
“In China,” Lu stated,, “we learn many subjects, but we don’t have much time to do sports.” It surprised him that “people here love strange sports like football and squash.”
However, Lu misses home., stating, “I miss Chinese food, because the food from home always tastes good…I also miss my old friends in China…And of course I miss my parents and grandparents, because I have never been away from them for very long.”

PDF Download