Student From China Gets New School, 'Family' In Kimball

Carina Chen, from Shanghai, China, is one of the five foreign exchange students at Kimball High School. Placed through the STS Foundation which has a goal to provide educational exchanges for young people wishing to visit the United States.

Chen was placed with Dawn Hickman and Robert Hinton and their seven-year-old son, Noah.

"They are just like family," Chen said with a smile aimed at Dawn.

She traveled more than 6,600 miles to get to Kimball in August and has gone from living in a city of 24 million to a town of 2,500. In fact, the high school she attended in Shanghai has more students than the entire town of Kimball has people.

One of the other main differences that Chen has experienced is the difference in architecture between Shanghai and Kimball. Shanghai has very tall structures while Kimball's building are mostly one or two floors.

She likes the food here, but admits she has gained a pound or two due to all the fried food. She misses the fresh vegetables that were always a part of her meals in China.

Chen is a senior and will graduate in May. Her parents, both accountants in Shanghai, will travel to the United States to witness her graduation ceremony and see where she has spent the last year of her life.

Chen has been actively participating in many activities, including show choir and choir while in school, she was also a member of Kimball High School's Math Bowl Team that participated in the UNL Math Day, the team won the Class V competition. Besides math, Chen especially likes her home economics class where she is learning to cook.

Chen has experienced many first while here in the United States such as attending homecoming, camping, sledding and building a snowman. She attended the Nuggets basketball game and has traveled to South Dakota, Elitches, the zoo and a pumpkin patch.

School is much different in China Chen explained, she would attend classes from 7:00 am until 5:00 pm, then return home and continue to study. An intense amount of pressure is put on Chinese students to study and excel.

The STS Foundation's local representative is Kim Baliman. Baliman has served as the local coordinator since 2005, helping to place students with local host families. Only receiving a biography of a student, she begins the task of matching families and students based on likes and common interests.

"I try to find a good fit, for both students and host families," Baliman said.

To learn more about the STS Foundation, or if you would be interested in being a host family for a foreign exchange students, please contact Baliman.