Belgian foreign exchange student Fanny Deprelle. (Submitted photo)
New experiences, new challenges.
That’s what Fanny Deprelle was seeking when she joined the foreign exchange student program.
A year later, she finds herself in small-town America, a world away from her hometown of Brussels in Belgium, and on a soccer pitch for the first time.
Deprelle made her debut Tuesday for the Wolves in a game against Sequim, something she couldn’t have foreseen a short while ago.
“I never played soccer before,” Deprelle said. “I never thought that I would one day play soccer!!
“But I’m very happy to be on the soccer team,” she added. “I chose soccer because it’s a physical sport; it’s the sport I preferred amongst other proposals and also to meet new people.”
At home, she plays tennis, runs track and swims, and Deprelle plans to join the CHS tennis squad in the spring.
The 18-year-old, who has a 14-year-old sister, decided to leave Belgium (for a bit) and find her way in the world.
“I decided to be an exchange student on September 2015,” Deprelle said. “I wanted to move to the US for the experience, to meet new people, to discover another culture and new places and of course, to learn English.”
Like all foreign exchange students, she had no idea where she would be placed, and landing in a small town on a rock in the middle of the water was unexpected.
“It was a real surprise,” Deprelle said. “On the beginning of September I had a real culture shock.
“I come from a city where there are a lot of shops, it’s easy to use transit and I’m very independent in my country,” she added. “Here, Coupeville is a small town and everything is quiet. It’s very different from my country.”
A month-and-a-half into her American tour, she’s begun to adjust, however.
“Even it was difficult on the beginning, I’m happy to be here in Coupeville,” Deprelle said. “People are very friendly due it’s a small town and it’s very relaxing. I met new people as expected.”
When she’s not playing soccer, Deprelle enjoys spending time with friends and her musical tastes run a wide gamut, with Coldplay, Beyoncé and Flume particular favorites.
After her year in Coupeville, she plans to return home, where she will attend college and study law in both French and English.
However the rest of her American adventure plays out, Deprelle is confident her time abroad will help shape her life in a positive way.
“I think it will be this experience. I will come back changed and stronger.”
