Student Profile
Francesca Corti
Italian student Francesca Corti came to a New Zealand school to improve her English and, in the process, found new friendships and became part of a whole new host family.
Ever since she did a school project on New Zealand when she was in elementary school near Milan, Francesca Corti had dreamt of coming to New Zealand.
Researching is one thing. But coming half way around the world, away from friends and family, to attend a new school and to stay with people you’ve never met can seem a daunting prospect. When the time came for 18 year old Francesca to finally leave for New Zealand she admits she felt quite nervous. “I had so many questions going through my mind,” says Francesca “What if the family I stay with are really strange ? Will they like me and understand me?
As it turned out she needn’t have worried. “After a few months I already feel part of the family,” says Francesca, “They are very nice to me and I really enjoy doing things together with the whole family or just with Christina and Michael.”
When she’s not at school, polishing her English, Francesca has been able to enjoy her favourite sports – going for long horse rides in the countryside and watching motor-bike racing. She’s also just taken up tennis lessons for the first time. “I’ve learned so much in a very short time and I’ve made many good friends,” says Francesca. “These are experiences I will never forget.”