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MHS senior enriched by foreign exchange students

MHS Foreign Exchange Club members - from left, Becky Takacs, Danielle Donovan, Marissa Canas, Savannah Batson, Mike Ruckert and Heather Donovan - take part in Christmas game during the MHS Foreign Exhcange Club's Christmas party at the home of Henry and Beth Weber.
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  • BY JULIAN CAVAZOS - JCAVAZOS@VICAD.COM
  • Originally published December 22, 2009 at 6:57 p.m., updated December 23, 2009 at 11:09 a.m.

  • A little bit about Danielle Donovan

    Is president of the MHS Foreign Exchange Club

    Loves getting to know people, even if she'll never see them again

    Plays the violin in the school Mariachi

    Likes to draw people

    Will attend Florida ...

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    • A little bit about Danielle Donovan

    Is president of the MHS Foreign Exchange Club

    Loves getting to know people, even if she'll never see them again

    Plays the violin in the school Mariachi

    Likes to draw people

    Will attend Florida College in fall 2010

The word "cheesy" can be a funny word to explain to foreign exchange students, but luckily Danielle Donovan is there to explain it to them.

"I have had to explain the word 'cheesy' to four different nationalities," joked the Memorial High School senior. "At first, they're like, 'What does cheese have to do with anything you just said?' It is the funniest thing ever."

Danielle is president of the MHS Foreign Exchange Club, where they plan social activities for throughout the year.

Foreign or not, she wants everyone to be happy, have a good time, and learn from each other.

Earlier this month, she organized a Christmas party for the club.

Seven exchange students from Thailand, Germany and Sweden attended, as well as other American members of the club.

There, they played Twister, chatted online with former exchange students who once attended Memorial, had a Christmas dinner and played a gift exchange game called "Dirty Santa."

In the game, each person gets to pick either an unopened present, or steal one from someone else.

Danielle brought her Nerf shotgun.

Natalie Jaeger from Germany had never played it before.

"It was the first time we played it, but it was fun," Natalie said.

Sofie Dahl first met Danielle at the airport in August when she arrived from Sweden. Henry and Beth Weber invited Danielle to come along because she had been friends with the last few exchange students the Webers housed.

"I thought she was goofy," Sofie said. "Whenever they were taking pictures when I first got off the plane, she was like, 'You want to take a goofy picture? That was my first impression.'"

On the first day of school, Danielle showed up an hour early to give exchange students a tour of the campus.

"I showed them around in the courtyard, and pointed out different stuff," she said. "Then, I tried to work through the language barriers with them."

German exchange students Jasmin Kessler and Natalie Jaeger have also gotten to know her through the exchange club.

"She likes to speak too fast," joked Jasmin. "At the beginning it was hard, but now it's fine."

Natalie likes Danielle's sense of humor.

"She's funny and open-minded to everybody," Natalie said. "The way she talks, she's just a funny person. That's just her nature."

Danielle helps exchange students feel more at home, they say.

"Somehow, she always gets everybody involved," Sofie said. "You never feel left out when she's around because she always brings you back into the crowd."

After seeing that everybody had a good time at the Christmas party, Danielle said she accomplished the club's goal of fellowship.

"Everybody was a great sport," she said. "The whole point of the foreign exchange club is for Americans and foreign exchange students to get to know each other, be friends, and share different experiences with each other."

Danielle plans to attend Florida College next fall. She will take her memories of the exchange club with her.

"Years later, I'll see a Nerf shotgun on the shelf at Walmart, and I'll go, 'Oh, exchange club, ha ha ha ha. I remember that. Man, I miss those kids. I'm going to go write them a letter.'"



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