Senior Rosa Sigrunardorrit said she has been embraced by the Park community, which made her transition from being 2959 miles from her home easier.

According to Sigrunardorrit, she moved from the capital city in Iceland, Reykjavik, and will be spending the year at Park as an exchange student.

“I like the people first of all. They are really helpful and really kind,” Sigrunardorrit. “The weather, it is a lot hotter here, which is really awesome. The school, I love the school. I just love everything about here.”

Sigrunardorrit’s host sister, sophomore Zoe Kozlowski, said her family chose to host Rosa because they believed she would fit in with their family dynamic.

“There are a lot of things we really liked about her. We liked that she played soccer because both me and my sister play soccer,”  Kozlowski said. “A lot of things about her really fit into our family and she had a smaller family at home and we have a pretty large family and we thought that would be a cool experience for her.”

Sigrunardorrit said she joined soccer and has enjoyed playing with the team.

“I like soccer because you have to work as a group and I have been practicing that for many years now,” Sigrunardorrit said. “I took a break from soccer for two years, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to start again and it is a great team. I love the girls.”

Junior and teammate of Sigrunardorrit Ellie Kent said Sigrunardorrit adds positivity to the soccer team.

“I think socially ( Sigrunardorrit contributes) a ton of energy and is super welcoming, specifically to the underclassmen,” Kent said. “The team is a really great family for her to be with.”

According to Sigrunardorrit, Park differs from her school in Iceland.

“(The school) is a lot bigger and there are much more things you can do here. The teachers have a lot of energy all the time and that makes a big difference,” Sigrunardorrit said.

Kozlowski said Sigrunardorrit’s presence impacts their household.

“I actually think the (environment) is a lot happier. She is a really happy person and she just brings the energy up by always listening to music,” Kozlowski said.

According to Sigrunardorrit, she looks forward to making connections with people and also gaining educational experience.

“I am really excited to meet people and hopefully get to know many people and make a friendship that can continue for many many years,” Sigrunardorrit said. “(I am also excited to) see many things here and get to learn many new things.”