Whether they realize it or not, students at LAHS are experiencing something they haven’t in a long time. Leechburg is hosting an exchange student from Thailand. Pattarawadee “Dear” Tongkoom is a 16-year-old from Bangkok who came here through the Rotary Club and is living with the Michael Gerheim family. Get to know a little more about Dear in this interview.
 
TV: What do you like about Leechburg?
Tongkoom: I like the small school, and Leechburg is full of nice people.

TV: What are the differences between Leechburg and Thailand?
Tongkoom: I came from a really big school with about 4,000 students in the high school grades 10-12. I lived in a big city near Bangkok. The food is different because Thai food is very spicy, and American food is not.

TV: What did your school in Thailand have that Leechburg does not that you miss?
Tongkoom: My school in Thailand had multiple buildings, so I could walk outside to go from class to class. I liked that.

TV: What was the name of your high school?
Tongkoom: Pibulwittayalai School.

TV: What sports did you play in Thailand?
Tongkoom: I played tennis and volleyball, but soccer is the most popular sport in Thailand.

TV: How did you get the nickname “Dear”?
Tongkoom: My mother gave it to me.

TV: Do you have any siblings?
Tongkoom: I have one older brother. His name is Phubadee Tongkoom, and he is 25 years old.

TV: What do you dislike about Leechburg?
Tongkoom: I don’t have as many options of things to do on the weekends. I don’t like the roads of Pennsylvania because they are too windy and hilly. In Thailand, the roads are flat and straight.

TV: How did you get so good at English?
Tongkoom: I started learning basic English in fourth grade. I learned most of my English from watching American movies. Also, I learned from former American exchange students that my family housed when I was younger.

[comments] 

Posted by "Jen Shannon" on March 17, at 11:05 p.m.

I'm glad that Leechburg is experiencing another exchange student while I am still in school. I have become very close to Dear and am constantly learning about her lifestyle. It is very different, but in the end we are the same.

Posted by "Cassie Stivason" on March 5, at 11:13 a.m.

Dear is always kind to people and she's not afraid to be herself. There are many things I look forward to learning more about who she is and where she came from.

Posted by "Marlena Jackson" on February 3, at 1:32 p.m.

Dear is my neighbor in Gilpin. She is so nice and everyone seems to love her. I think it's wonderful how Leechburg has accepted her and it's really neat to learn about how things were like at her old school.

Posted by "Marissa Swank" on January 22, at 9:09 a.m.

I think it is very interesting that Leechburg has a foreign exchange student. She gets to learn a lot about how we do things around here, but also we get to learn a lot about her.

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