By Rosemary Daniels | Correspondent

Zoe Sun knew she would have her share of challenges when she arrived to study in Mater Dei Prep, Middletown, as an exchange student from her native Beijing.

She would have to get used to the American way of life, becoming accustomed to a new school, a new culture,  different types of foods and even, perhaps, adapting an American name like Tiffany or the one she chose, Zoe.

But the challenges that exchange students, like Sun, face are ones they are more than willing to meet.

“We want to improve our education and exchange traditional things with the students,” she said. “We ask American kids and teachers to correct our English.”

In the Trenton Diocese, there are currently some 120 international students attending Catholic high schools and elementary schools with 83 percent hailing from China and 93 percent from the Asian continent as a whole.

On a national basis, more students from China come to the United States to study than from any other country, and the numbers of high school exchange students who choose to study in the United States has skyrocketed in the past several years. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the number of Chinese high school students in the United States increased from 65 in 2005-2006 to 6,725 in 2010-2011. By studying in the United States, Chinese students hope to gain a better education and leave behind a rigid and over-crowded educational system back home. The students explore Catholic schools because of their reputations for providing superior education and exposure to extracurricular activities.

High schools in the Trenton Diocese such as Monsignor Donovan, Toms River, and Holy Cross, Delran, have hosted international students in smaller numbers since the early 2000s. Both schools report that their numbers have grown significantly in the past few years. Only recently has Mater Dei Prep started to open its doors to exchange students, welcoming six new Chinese students this past September.

“The presence of international students provides the opportunity for current high school students to be enriched by learning the culture and customs of students from other countries,” stated JoAnn Tier, diocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools. “We live in a global society. Students will be prepared for immersion in this world through a wide range of experiences and exposures.”

Having worked with exchange students since October, Siobhan Quinn, who a member of the English as a Second Language faculty team in Mater Dei Prep, observed:  “They are not big on smiles, so reading their emotions was a challenge at first. But they are very excited to be here.”

To ensure that the Chinese students are fluent in English, schools will conduct a Skype (online video) interview with potential candidates, just one part of the rigorous application process. Once a student is accepted by an American school, he or she must complete numerous forms and obtain an F-1 student visa. Schools in the United Sates must be certified by the Student Exchange & Visitor Program in order to accept an international student. The diocesan Department of Catholic Schools in Trenton processes most of the paperwork, but much falls to the individual hosting schools as well. For this reason, some schools will work with third-party companies which specialize in qualifying and placing international  students. Companies like Cambridge, Edulink and Ivy International can handle the qualifying, interviewing prospects, processing paperwork and even facilitating the living arrangements for accepted students.

Families who host an exchange student provide room, board and general  transportation for which they receive a stipend. Zina Approvato of Toms River became a host parent in January to Hanzhou Zhang, a sophomore in Monsignor Donovan High School.

“My own son is away at college now, but I was always very involved in Monsignor Donovan, so my husband and I thought it would be a good idea to host one of the students.”

According to this host mom, “Hank” loves everything: the food, buying things on eBay, and being close to the ocean. He especially loves being able to see the stars at night. Every night he opens our front door and just looks up at them,” she said.

Other things that the students appreciate are the smaller class size and the interest the teachers take in them.

Many students participate in after-school activities. Dennis Guida, principal of Holy Cross High School, said, “In the first few years of having international students here, not many participated. This year, about one-half of the students are involved in an extracurricular activity. Mostly, it is tennis (boys and girls), music ministry and stage crew for plays and musicals.

Kathy D’Andrea, vice principal of Monsignor Donovan observed the addition of the international students as being a positive influence on their American peers.

“They see these students working so hard,” she said. “They realize they have to rise to the occasion.”

As part of the regular student body, international students take all required theology courses and attend Masses and prayer services. Theology classes have proven to be challenging for the students, especially understanding the vocabulary. During Mass they are encouraged to use the time to reflect, since they have very little knowledge of Catholicism when they first arrive.

Sciarappa noted that Mater Dei is aiming to develop an international studies program  by September, 2015.