Featured State: North Carolina

This month, learn about North Carolina!

Quick facts about North Carolina:

• Home to multiple sports teams: Carolina Panthers (professional football), Charlotte Hornets (professional basketball), and the Charlotte Knights (baseball)
• Famous for its beautiful Blue Ridge mountains and its many trees which makes the state ever so colorful during the fall
  
• Home to The Biltmore Estate in Ashville which is America's largest home, and includes a 255-room chateau, an award-winning winery and extensive gardens.
  
• Largest producer of sweet potatoes in the nation
  
• Home to the Wright Brothers who performed the first successful flight

Featured school: Hickory Ride High School

Hickory Ridge High School is located in Harrisburg, NC. Each year, the total number of students enrolled at the school averages between 1,800-2,100 students. It became the sixth high school in the Cabarrus County Schools system when it opened on August 27, 2007. It has been designated by the North Carolina Board of Education an Honor School of Excellence (North Carolina's highest distinction) for 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011. It is one of only four traditional high schools in the state to receive this honor, Hickory Ridge High School offers students all types of sports ( soccer, football, vllleybal, basketcblla ) activities, clubs etc.

Local Coordinator Renata S. said, "​Hickory Ridge is a very welcoming school. It is always looking for ways to incorporate cultural diversity. Exchange students are always welcomed with arms wide open. The school believes that having exchange students contribute a lot to the growth of knowledge, multi cultural perspectives and inclusion."

"I can’t explain how lucky and happy I am to be in North Carolina. My host family is great and my school too. It’s a big school, with 1800 students! I love it because they gave me the opportunity to be a senior, playing powderpuff (which is a football game for girls where every grade is a team, so I was in the senior team) and it was one of the best moments so far. Now I’m in the basketball team, we practice everyday and it’s hard but satisfying. I’m pushing myself like I never did before and I know that the future Martina will be so proud of the 2019 Martina! Life begins at the end of your comfort zone and trust me, I’m really uncomfortable right now! But I love it!"
​- Martina, Italy