By Nora Shupe

“I always wanted to come to America since I was a little girl”

Katja Esser, a German exchange student at Bellbrook High School, is living out her American dream. She went from watching “Mean Girls” and “To All The Boys I Loved Before” to actually living it.

“I grew up watching and seeing stuff online about American football games and cheerleaders and I was always fascinated with the idea of it,” Esser said.

As soon as she stepped foot in the Dayton Airport, she knew she had made the right choice to leave everything behind temporarily and start a new chapter in her junior year. 

Her host parents were waiting at the baggage claim eager to meet their new family member for the next six months. They greeted her with a sign that read “Katja welcome to the USA 2026.”

“I was super nervous to meet them, but they were extremely welcoming and made me feel at home,” Esser said.

Since that Esser has been here at Bellbrook for about two months, she has been very involved in the community. She has joined the football cheer squad and goes to lots of sporting events to support her new friends. “I take every new opportunity to make memories and friends, since my time here is limited,” Esser said.

Mr Garison, the ELL specialist here at BHS, has been very helpful to Esser in her time here at Bellbrook so far. “I have helped many exchange students here,” Garison said. “There used to be around four each year but now there are usually just two.”

Mr Garison knows more than six different languages so he is a very helpful resource for exchange students trying to learn the American English language and culture. He loves being useful and has helped Esser and dozens of other foreign students feel more at home here at Bellbrook.