EXCHANGE student programs offer schools, students and host families an invaluable plethora of life experiences.

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Irrawang High School are active participants in welcoming exchange students, and are currently the host school for an Austrian student living with her host family in Raymond Terrace.

Svea Paukert is a Year 10 Austrian exchange student who has been in Australia for just over two months now and is loving her Aussie adventure.

As an only child, Svea is thoroughly enjoying her busy life with the Aylett family in Raymond Terrace, and her five “new” siblings.

Host mother Rochelle says that Svea has involved herself with family activities, which is currently in full swing with the football season.

Svea is also enjoying her Karate every Thursday afternoon.

Having studied English for five years at school, Svea’s grasp of the English language is very good, although she says she is still thinking in German most of the time.

Svea’s school in Graz,the second largest city in Austria after Vienna, is about the same size as Irrawang High School, with around 800 students.

However, there are a few differences, in that there is no uniform and each class stays together for the whole day.

The hot weather Port Stephens has experienced over the past few months has been a real challenge for Svea, and she has coped by spending most her time in the air conditioning.

She has also enjoyed her time at our beautiful local beaches finding them very different from the pebbly European ones.

As she is heading home on July 1st, Svea will experience only a little of our Port Stephens winter, very different from her normal winter in Graz where temperatures can reach minus 17.

Irrawang High School staff member Lue Fagan told News Of The Area, ‘We sincerely hope you make the most of every minute while you are a temporary Aussie Svea, and we look forward to seeing you when you return to see us all one day.”