Studying Abroad
Croatian Exchange Student brings diversity to CHS

By Brittany Hoffman 

One of many foreign exchange students, Martina Baricevic traveled across the seas to CHS to expand her knowledge.  Martina came here from Rijeka, Croatia.  She is 17 years old and a junior. 

Some of Martina’s hobbies include writing martial arts, but she said, “Nothing serious, though”, and going out.  In Riyeka, her friends and she are allowed to go out to clubs and bars.  She loves to go to heavy metal rock concerts, where some of her friends play in bands. 

Martina can speak and write three languages including English, Italian, and Croatian.  She is able to comprehend Spanish also, although she has never studied it. 

Attending high school in Croatia is much more difficult than in the United States.  Martina is part of an Italian minority in Croatia and attends an Italian high school. Most of her classes are taught in Italian and some are taught in Croatian. 

In Croatia, students do not pick their classes, but they pick their high school.  Each high school has a different major. Martina’s school has a Science and Math major.  Although Martina wants to be a lawyer, she goes to a Science and Math school because most high schools are taught in four or five languages and Martina did not want classes in German because she does not speak German.

Martina likes the United States, but said she does not do anything here and does not find it very exciting  She said that someday she may come back and live in the United States or go to college here, but is not quite sure.