Foreign exchange student trades beach life for high school experience in Osgood

"I really like the people here"

(OSGOOD, Ind.) – A Jac-Cen-Del junior isn’t used to being this far from the beach. 

Mannex Iradi is a native of San Sebastian, Spain which is a picturesque coastal city on the Bay of Biscay. 

It didn’t take long for the foreign exchange student to notice a major difference between his home and life in rural America. 

“We don’t use cars as much as they do here. We walk a lot or take a bicycle or public transportation. Whether you want to go to the supermarket, restaurant or the beach, you can do that by walking. Everything is close to each other so you don’t need a car,” Iradi said. 

Iradi has made several friends and has played soccer, track and basketball this year.  

With the school year winding down, we asked Iradi if he's ready to go back to Spain. 

“Not really, I am fine here and really like it here,” he said. “I also really like the people. It is a small community and everybody knows each other and it is really nice."

Iradi said his parents are coming to the United States soon and they will visit Chicago, New York and Boston.

The experience at Jac-Cen-Del has helped Iradi realize that he wants to continue his time in the United States. 

He wants to attend college in America and play soccer. Iradi also plans to major in sports science.

Here's a look at Iradi's hometown in Spain: