Paraguay Bound

Senior Tavis Cameron will travel to Paraguay in February to be an exchange student

Senior+Tavis+Cameron+practices+taping+the+arm+of+senior+Emily+McLaughlin+during+Sports+Medicine.+In+February%2C+Cameron+will+travel+to+Paraguay+as+a+foreign+exchange+student.

Ryan Delanty

Senior Tavis Cameron practices taping the arm of senior Emily McLaughlin during Sports Medicine. In February, Cameron will travel to Paraguay as a foreign exchange student.

When you think of foreign exchange students American foreign exchange students are not the first thing that comes to your mind. Senior Tavis Cameron is preparing to become the minority.

Cameron is leaving for Ciudad Del Este, Paraguay in February. He will be there for six months, coming back in August.                                                           

Cameron said he will miss people while he is gone.

“I am going to miss my friends the most. Mostly Denis [Bosnjak, senior] and Michael [Sniatkewicz,senior],” he said.

However, he said will stay in contact with his friends the whole trip.  

As Cameron gets closer and closer to leaving, he said it will get harder for him to leave realizing he will be leaving home for so long.

“I expect to start getting nervous before I leave obviously, I also will just be ready to leave in the time actually leading up to leaving,” he said.

Cameron when the time to leave gets close, he just wants to get it over with.

Cameron said his driving force to become a exchange student goes beyond just wanting to visit a country

“I wanted to go because I wanted to become fluent in another language. I was convinced by the AFS students last year,” he said

Cameron also said seeing the exchange students at South was a major factor in why he decided to go. He also wanted to become a fluent Spanish speaker.

Cameron said he doesn’t have a lot of experience eating food from Paraguay. He said he will be introduced to all kinds of new food in Paraguay.

“I am excited to eat the rice they have because I am sure it is better than the rice in the States,” he said.

Cameron’s Spanish teacher, Jennifer Sommer, said she thinks he is prepared for his experience.

“I do. I think he will be even more prepared in February. He is watching movies and stuff to prepare. He also has the right outgoing personality to go on a trip like this,” she said.

Sommer said she is very confident in Cameron thinking he is a perfect student to take this on. She also had advice for Cameron

“Just be super open to the new opportunity and the new culture. Don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions,” she said

Sommer has been to multiple Spanish-speaking countries. She lived with a family in Costa Rica when she was younger and was trying to become a fluent speaker.

Bosnjak said he will be in contact with his friend daily.

“I think we’ll talk most days like we do now, and I think if something cool or interesting happens to him he’ll talk to me about it,” he said.

Franz will try to keep up on Cameron’s’ trip as much as she can.

Senior Clara Franz is another one of Cameron’s friends.

“I think he’ll really enjoy the relationships he makes with his host family and new friends there. He gets along really well with everyone,” she said.