“Hi SM! My name is LiLou Rousseau, I’m a sophomore and an exchange student from France. I play softball and take psychology/sociology and AP French. My exchange year in the United States has been a life-changing experience. It has taught me many things about life, especially that you have to enjoy the little things and always take advantage of the opportunities in front of you. I have really grown and matured through this experience because it taught me how to be independent. What I love about SM is the support given by the teachers, coaches, counselors and staff who always brighten your day, as well as the short school days since the school days in France are from 8am to 6pm. I would say the perception of French schools from foreign countries are not accurate. Although, the cliché is real: every week is pretty much fashion week! The French educational system is also different from here, we have longer days, we have the same class in every period and we don’t have school sports teams or clubs (only extracurricular), which makes the United States’ educational system ideal for French people.”- Lilou Rousseau ’25