The portions in Neenah might be larger than those in Hamburg, but everything else feels  nearly microscopic to junior Clara Baass, who is staying with Spanish teacher Meghan Ray and her family for the remainder of the school year.

Transitioning to Neenah after growing up in what CityMetric lists as Germany’s second largest city could have easily made her feel like a big fish in a little pond. In terms of here placement, Baass shares that one of her biggest problem is stereotypical of Wisconsin.

“I don’t like cheese and I’m here in Wisconsin.”

Baass has to deal with a few non-dairy issues as well. She usually has several days to do homework, as her class schedule in Germany repeats each week, instead of each day. In America, the heavy workload combined with daily classes forces her to do a comparable amount of homework — in far less time.

Of course, becoming a foreign exchange student meant that Baass would not see her family for an entire school year. Baass’ tightly-knit family features:  her mother, father, younger brother Johnathan, older brother Melvin, and cat Nelly.  She always enjoys their time together and notes their wonderful senses of humor.

Baass has adored English from a young age. After seeing the amazing experience of another exchange student via Youtube, she decided to pursue it for herself. Baass smiles as she recalls her mother’s reaction, brushing her long blonde hair out of her face before continuing on to say how strongly her family supported her dream after the initial shock subsided.

The decision to leave her family proved difficult, and Baass spent her first day in America adrift in a sea of homesickness, but it quickly passed, allowing her to tackle the school year with passion and enthusiasm.

The prospect of experiencing a Wisconsin winter particularly excites Baass. She describes the relatively mild seasons of Hamburg, which WeatherOnline calls a maritime influenced climate. The summers are warm, but winters are often cloudy and nothing more. Baass remembers only three really nice winters in Germany.  Her inviting smile grows as she says she looks forward to Wisconsin’s usual heavy snow falls.

The separation from her family tested Baass at first, and the transition to another culture was jarring, but she came through it all with her head held high, and radiates optimism moving forward with the school year.