Jack Ryan

Adapting to Minnehaha Academy has been better than expected for Slovakian exchange student Jack Ryan, who said he is doing just as well here as in Slovakia.

“Everyone at Minnehaha is just welcoming, and everybody in my classes and at home are all very helpful which is just like Slovakia,” said Ryan.

Ryan was able to attend Minnehaha via the scholarship program awarded by C.S. Lewis High School in Bratislava. Students who apply for the program and get accepted need a host family to stay with for the semester. Ryan is being hosted by the Pellegrin family.

“My favorite subject is AP Computer Science because Mr. Enderton doesn’t really set deadlines and is very relaxed about everything during the class,” said Ryan. “The most challenging subject right now for me would be math. In Slovakia, we use a different system for most equations. Also all the English names are really confusing for me.”

Not only is Ryan getting along well in the classrooms, but he’s also made lots of friends at Minnehaha. 

“He’s just a funny guy,” said senior Nick Wong who is in the same advisory group as Ryan. “He’s also pretty good at soccer. It’s a shame that he can’t be on varsity.”

State high-school league rules prevent most exchange students from playing varsity athletics.

Still, it’s safe to say that Ryan will never forget his experience at Minnehaha Academy.