Helena Candel is in love.

Yes, she likes America and her classes at CMR. But one thing has truly filled a space in her heart: peanut butter.

“I love peanut butter, and you can have everything with peanut butter here,” Candel said.

Candel came to Montana from Freising, Germany. She is one of 10 foreign exchange students that are calling C.M. Russell High School home this year.

Along with snow, Candel said that one of the most different things she has experienced is all of the hunting.

“My host dad [hunts], but I don’t. It’s weird that everyone has guns at home,” she said.

Candel said that she has always wanted to come to the United States and that English is very important for whatever she wants to do in her future.

“You get more open and experienced, and there is much more culture here,” Candel said.

While many C. M. Russell High School students were busy dressing up and cheering on our sports teams during Homecoming, Denmark’s Kirstine Nielson was adjusting to the overwhelming amount of school spirit.

“Homecoming was kind of strange. It was fun but it was different. I went to a very small school with 100 people, and I had never done the whole school spirit thing,” Nielson said.

While Nielson’s fellow foreign exchange student Helena Candel had a difficult time adjusting to the snow, Nielson said that is one of her favorite parts about Montana.

“I really like that there is so much snow and you can go skiing so easily,” she said.

Nielson said that the United States has provided her with many opportunities that she never would have experienced in Denmark.

“I’m taking interior design and photography. I like being creative and it’s something I never would’ve been able to take in Denmark.”