Being a freshman in high school is hard enough, but freshman Maya Levee is applying to be an exchange student as well.

Maya is hoping that she will end up living in Spain, but she is still early in the application process.

“I want to apply to study in Spain because I really love the culture and want to be completely fluent in Spanish”, freshman Maya Levee said.

Maya was inspired by one of her friends that applied to be an exchange student in Mexico and wanted to do the same.

“I either plan to do a semester or a gap-year in Spain”, Levee said.

The process for applying to be an exchange student is very lengthy and there is no guarantee that everyone who applies will get into the program.

“First, you have to find a program that works for you and fits your schedule and budget. Every program has a different application system, but the general application is just information about you, what you want to study, where you want to study, and your performance in school, many programs require you to maintain a certain GPA in order to stay in the program,” Levee said. “Then many programs call you in for an interview and at the interview that’s where you mostly do the logistics if you’re qualified to study abroad.”

Levee doesn’t know  which city or school she will be attending yet, but she will be missed by everyone around her no matter where she ends up going.

“I’m used to seeing Maya every single day, especially because she’s my next door neighbor,” Maya’s best friend freshman Sophia Bega said. “I know I’ll miss her like crazy, but I’ll be counting down the days until she gets back.”

Levee has gotten a lot of support from her friends and family regarding the program.

“I feel like Maya deciding to be a foreign exchange student in a European country is going to be a great experience that allows her to see and learn things that people in the Unites States would never even imagine”, freshman Andrew Chahda said.

Being an exchange student will be a huge change for Levee, adapting from US culture to culture in Spain.

“Maya has a very versatile disposition, making her a great candidate to adjust to her new surroundings,” teacher Jean Frazier said.

Those close to Levee are very excited for her to go to Spain with the foreign exchange student program.

“I’m super happy for Maya and I really hope she has an amazing time in Spain,” Bega said. “I’m also a little worried for her just because she is my best friend, and I know it will be a lot different.”

Levee’s friends plan on keeping in touch with her from across the globe while she is gone so they can experience Spain with her in spirit.

“I hope to keep in touch with Maya while she is in another country in various ways such as email and text message so I can hear about all the great new experiences she is having”, Chahda said.

Friends of Levee are really going to miss her when she leaves and wish her the best on her journey.

“I believe that adjusting to life without someone like Maya around me will be a difficult task because she brings so much humor and fun into each class I share with her,” Chahda said. “She is truly a great person to be around and someone that I believe many people including myself will miss.”