Ketkaew (Ket) Cheevamungkol, a senior from Bangkok, Thailand, traveled to America as an international student. Cheevamungkol enrolled to Arrowhead High School in the beginning of September and has been continuing her studies in Wisconsin.

She says her life back in Thailand was different, yet similar. In Thailand, Cheevamungkol wakes up at six a.m. to be able to get to school on time, which begins at eight o’clock in the morning. She says it’s tough to get to school because of the traffic.

Transportation is different in Thailand. Her mom takes her to school and the takes a train home from school. But here in America, she just takes the school bus.
“It could take up to 15 minutes to get to school, unless there is a ton of traffic, and then it could take up to 45 to 50 minutes to get there,” Cheevamungkol says about traveling to school in Thailand.

When she arrived in America and began school at Arrowhead, she noticed school here is a lot less strict and laid back here. In Thailand, the students are expected to wear uniforms every day. That includes wearing no make-up, no nail polish, hair in pony tail, and the girls’ skirts have to be longer than their knees.

“Our teachers switch after each class instead of the students. It’s easy to become close with the 30 students that are in your class. It’s very different than here at Arrowhead,” Cheevamungkol says.

In America, after graduating from high school, students plan to go to college and continue their education. But in Thailand, it takes more work than just graduating with excellent grades. They are expected to take extra classes for a year; each class is three months long, to be able to get into college.

On the weekends in her home city, Cheevamungkol likes to go to the shopping center close to her school and sing karaoke with her friends. She likes to sing American songs in Tai. She also enjoys ice skating and watching movies. Some of her favorite American movies include: the Step Up movies, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, and I Am Legend.

Cheevamungkol says she has enjoyed her journey thus far in America and is excited to finish off the year by graduating with the senior class of 2012-13.

“I’ve been enjoying America and all the new things I’ve experienced and the friends I’ve made,” Cheevamungkol says.