Jose Roquette ’25 drinks water through his football helmet during a regular season football game. Photo taken by Andrea Balcavage
All the Way From Where?
On the Iberian peninsula stands Portugal, the only Portuguese-speaking country in Europe. Hailing from this coastal country is Jose Roquette ‘25, an exchange student at South Salem High School. For context, according to Google Maps, flying from the Portland International Airport to the Humberto Delgado Airport would take 16 hours at minimum. This singular flight is only the beginning of Roquette’s arduous journey. During his American journey, Roquette will live with his host family, the Balcavages.
From Meeting Exchange Students to Hosting One: Andrea Balcavage
Roquette’s host mother, Andrea Balcavage, has had many experiences with exchange students, befriending them and soon after becoming one herself.
“I had many exchange student friends in high school. We had students from Finland, Germany, France, Argentina and Norway among others. Knowing them inspired me to travel to visit them and I adored the experiences. Later, I was an exchange student in Costa Rica. Eventually, we had an exchange student from Brazil, and later I moved there for a year. It made such an impact on my life, I wanted to do that for someone else,” Balcavage said.
For Andrea and her family, welcoming Roquette into their family was easy as he fit seamlessly into their lives.
“We love him. He’s become a member of our family. We have no sons, so it’s like having a son and brother to our daughters. We adored going to all of his football games. We enjoy sharing our culture, experiences, holidays, travels, etc. with him.”
-Balcavage said.
Trading Out Lisbon for Salem
Deciding to pack up and start anew across the globe can be a big decision. For many, it can be to experience new cultures or to start life on a clean slate. In contrast, Roquette chose to live the American life for a year to follow the footsteps of his lineage.
“[I chose to be an exchange student because] My brother was an exchange student in the United States and he enjoyed it. I wanted to improve my English, to attend sporting events, and because there are lots of opportunities here,” Roquette said.
Although he has only been in America for a few months, Roquette has already grown fond of the favorite American pastime: sports. Besides his love of rugby and American football, he loves to go out and watch games with his American peers.
“[I love] The amazing atmosphere at sporting events, marching bands, cheerleaders and halftime shows,” Roquette said.
Just as Roquette loves to spectate sports, he loves to get on the field and play all the same. During the fall of 2023, he tried out and successfully made the Saxon football team, specifically, making varsity. Sporting the number 30, Roquette was a contributing factor to the Saxons’ season record of 9-1. As well as this, he stands at 6’1” and plays the running back and defensive back positions, which always keeps him busy on the field.
Different Country, Same Routine
As America is of Anglo descent and is over 5000 miles away from Portugal, one would think that a change like this would be monumental. However, for Roquette, his life has remained similar to what it was back in Lisbon.
“It’s pretty much the same. Some days there’s rugby practice after school, here it was football. Some days, I hang out with my friends at a cafe after school,” Roquette said. Bonding with others is quintessential to being an all-American boy. Luckily, Roquette has that locked down.
“Friends from the football team [are my closest friends],” Roquette said.
Discussing Portuguese Life and the Differences in the States
When traveling and moving, the thoughts people have about home are abundant. Similarly, they recall the myriad of things they love. Similarly enough, Roquette admires the nature and historic buildings of Lisbon.
“The beaches, the architecture and the Tejo River are my favorite places in Lisbon. I love seeing them.”
-Roquette said.
For travelers and exchange students, the confusion when experiencing different cultures’ practices, or ‘culture shock,’ can be immense. However, in some scenarios, like Roquette, falling in line with other cultures can be a quick process.
“[What was shocking is that] Americans eat dinner earlier and the food here is less healthy,” Roquette said.
His Return Will be Inevitable!
Upon his return to Portugal and his eventual high school graduation, Roquette hopes to continue his education at a higher level. According to a study conducted by Schengen Visa, 44% of Portuguese people over age 30 have a higher education diploma. As he hopes, Roquette will soon join and increase this statistic.
“I plan to study finance at the NOVA School of Business and Economics,” said Roquette.
