Jan Mueller and Francesco Bogatti are shown with a welcome sign made for them upon their arrival at West Seneca East High School. The sign is decorated with the German flag for Mueller and the Italian for Bogatti.

This fall, West Seneca East High School opened its doors to two students who brought a dash of diversity to the classroom.

Francesco Bogatti of Montecatini Terme, Italy and Jan Mueller of Dreieich Götzenhain, Germany began attending classes at East this fall and will spend the duration of the year at the school.

While they are half a world away from the places they call home, both students say they have been enjoying their stays so far.

“Sometimes I miss my friends and family,” said Mueller. “But it’s not like I want to go home. I love it here.”

Mueller is even considering extending his stay until July to attend his host sister’s wedding.

“In the beginning I was very nervous,” said Mueller. “In the first few days I didn’t say a lot. But now I feel like I am their son more or less.” The students were placed in home-stay programs by AFS, a nonprofit organization that facilitates study-abroad opportunities for high-schoolers and has placed many students in the West Seneca district in years past.

For Mueller, West Seneca is somewhat different from his hometown, which is not far from Frankfurt, Germany but he says he can imagine stranger places to be.

“One of my friends stayed with a family on a farm in Texas,” Mueller said.

Bogatti said West Seneca is larger than his hometown.

A party welcomed Francesco Bogatti and Jan Mueller to West Seneca East High School in September. The two will study at the school for the remainder of the year.

One of the key skills to adapting to any new country is getting a solid grip on the language.

Mueller has been taking some level of English language class since grade school but says his understanding of the language has increased greatly since arriving in West Seneca.

“My listening and understanding have gotten a lot better,” he said.

Bogatti said the language has been one of the largest barriers he has faced since arriving.

“It is difficult to sit through classes that are taught in English,” Bogatti said. “I have learned and improved my English a lot since I have been here.”

While the boys have adjusted well to their new surroundings, there have also been challenges for them along the way.

According to Mueller, U.S. history has been particularly difficult for him because of the vast amount of new information. He also said the pace of the language in the class was challenging at first but has become easier throughout the school year.

Some classes, such as advanced placement chemistry, came a little easier to the German student, as he has taken chemistry before.

It is also an important class for him, as he says he will continue to take chemistry when he returns home and is glad that he will not fall too far behind during his time abroad.

Bogatti noted many differences between East High School and his own, which have taken some degree of adjustment, including more activities, sports and music.

Mueller also said he finds East to have a stricter mentality than schools in Germany.

“Here, you need a pass to go everywhere,” said Mueller, who added that rules such as these do not exist in his high school. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing though.”

The students’ experience at East has consisted of more than just going to class, however. According to Stephanie Giumpa, the International Club adviser as well as a social studies teacher, the students get to experience a range of experiences that define high school life in America.

Mueller has had the opportunity to play both football and basketball for the school and says those have been some of his favorite memories to date. Although the students traveled thousands of miles to arrive in West Seneca, Western New York will not be the only part of the United States they have the chance to see while they are here.

The program has also provided them the opportunity to visit other places, such as Washington, D.C., and Walt Disney World.

To learn more about AFS and becoming a host family, visit www.afs.org.