Williston prides itself on its 20% international student population, and The Willistonian wondered what it’s like to be a part of this extraordinarily diverse and interesting group. There are over 30 different countries represented at Williston, but only one student from Italy.

Alex Coppola, from Trieste, Italy, is extremely excited about her senior year at Williston. “It’s a lot different from my old school, but in a good way,” she stated.

Alex went to Oberdan School, an international school in Trieste, so she grew up speaking Italian and English, as well as being exposed to many other languages.

“Trieste is pretty similar to the United States,” said Alex. Various aspects of the city, such as food and lifestyle, run parallel to American ways of life. “Both places are such a melting pot of different cultures,” she said.

The 17-year-old has lived in Italy her whole life, but it’s not her first time to America. Her grandmother lives in Cape Cod, MA, and her mother is from Palo Alto, CA. She’s been balancing Italian and American culture ever since she was young, so coming to Williston wasn’t a significant culture shock.

Alex believes Williston has a lot to offer, especially on the weekends. “During the weekends, I’ll typically go into Easthampton or do community service,” stated Alex.

Alex’s friend, Emma Lehrer, is also an international student from Dominica. “I think Alex is adjusting really well to the school. I see her doing stuff all the time, and we have a lot of fun together!” Emma remarked.

In the classroom, Alex is challenging herself. She is enrolled in three AP classes (physics, comparative government, and BC calculus) and has two to three hours of homework every night. “Challenging myself with hard classes will be worth it when applying for colleges,” said Alex. “I think colleges will like I took so many AP classes.”

Alex is currently on the cross country team at Williston and has been doing well. “I just love running,” Alex remarked as she looked up at the cross country awards on her wall. Alex has broken her personal record for the 5K twice this year.

The captain of the cross country team, Anabelle Farnham, agreed that Alex is doing really well on the team. “Alex comes to practice every day ready to run and work hard,” she said.

Anabelle has been running cross country since her freshman year and believes that running together allows the team to bond and grow. “Running is a really social sport because it is so mental and it’s super tiring,” Anabelle said.

However, cross country isn’t Alex’s primary sport. In Italy, Alex liked to spend her time doing competitive diving. “I’ve been diving for about five years; it’s a really nice stress reliever,” she said.

Alex has won many awards for diving and hopes to continue to thrive in the water during the winter sports season at Williston.

Alex’s overall hope is to become a better student and make new friends from all around the world by the time she graduates from Williston. “I think this school will have a positive effect on me and my future,” said Alex.