Markesteijn’s transition from the Netherlands to Missouri

By: Bannon Moran, Contributing Writer 

Centralia High School welcomes foreign exchange student Sem Markesteijn from the Netherlands

 Dlorah Burgeson and Fred Freet are the individuals hosting Markesteijn in Centralia, MO.

In the Netherlands, Markesteijn lives at home with his parents, older brother, and younger sister.  His favorite things to do back home are hang out with friends, spend time with family and go out to get food.

Although Sem is no stranger to visiting the United States, Centralia is a big change from the places he has visited.  He knows some English, but feels he is still learning everyday. Markesteijn finds he has to take his time trying to understand what his peers are saying. In The Netherlands, Sem has already completed America’s version of high school.  “I wanted to continue to learn and gain more knowledge on the English language. That's why I wanted to be a foreign exchange student,” said Markesteijn. 

When asked about the differences between the Netherlands and Missouri, Markesteijn said, “One major difference I have noticed is the food. The taste, size and amount of food places throw me off.”  Markesteijn also states, “The portions in America are too large and they don’t eat a lot of fresh or home cooked food like they tend to in the Netherlands.” 

One of his best memories about Missouri so far was attending a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game with his new friends. Markesteijn also likes being able to be on the sidelines for football games. He enjoys being amidst all the action. Markesteijn was involved in soccer back home and is now a kicker for the Centralia Panthers football team.

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