Interview with Katherine (Kate) Small

00:00:10
Speaker 1: Hello this is. My name is Dylan Shafer and I am with

00:00:12

Speaker 2: My name’s Catherine small. I’m 20 years old and I’m an exchange student from the UK.

00:00:22
Speaker 1: Where is your family from in the UK?

00:00:27
Speaker 2: Both my parents are Scottish and then they moved on to England with me and my brother were both born.

00:00:39
Speaker 1: Is there anything you want to talk about from your childhood or any experiences.

00:00:46
Speaker 2: I have a good childhood. Yeah, I went to a primary school in my village.

00:00:54
Speaker 2: I was in school all the way through to 18.

00:00:57
Speaker 2: I went to university in the UK to study history.

00:01:08
Speaker 1: Are you religious?

00:01:10

Speaker 2: Yes I was christened when I was a baby and I’m still Christian. I believe in Christianity.

00:01:20
Speaker 2: I’m part of the Methodist association

00:01:23

Speaker 1: I’m a Methodist too. How did you come to America? You came as an exchange student?

00:01:30
Speaker 2: Yes. So, this is my first time here. I came by myself. No one else in my family has been to the US before. So yeah, I’m here studying for a year as part of my university degree.

00:01:46
Speaker 1: Um do you want to explain more a little bit more about your town here.

00:01:53
Speaker 2: So, I’m from the county of West Sussex.

00:01:57
Speaker 2: It’s in the south of England. The various outfits on the English Channel which borders funds got near Plymouth.

00:02:09
Speaker 2: Yeah. Well or somewhere. Well it’s Portsmouth. Yeah, it’s the others. Yeah.

00:02:15
Speaker 2: It’s the other side. Yeah, it’s really nice mm. What was your first impression of Harrisonburg?

00:02:28
Speaker 2: It feels very like communal right. There seems to me like in a strong sense of community here and I felt safe pretty much straight away which was a concern of mine because it’s such obviously America’s so big that I and I come from an area which is really small that I was concerned about but not instantly felt welcomed and safe.

00:02:59
Speaker 1: And have you seen any changes in the short time you’ve been here in Harrisonburg.

00:03:08
Speaker 2: Not really. Like I guess that when I came here I everyone was really friendly, and I immediately felt welcomed and that hasn’t really changed.

00:03:17
Speaker2: Like I haven’t noticed any difference

00:03:20

Speaker 1: I think I already know the answer to this one, but have you even met a significant other.

00:03:27
Speaker 2: No.

00:03:33
Speaker 1: Do you have a job here.

00:03:35
Speaker 2: No, I’m not allowed based on my student visa.

00:03:39
Speaker 1: Do you work back in the UK.

00:03:42
Speaker 2: Yeah, I work in the summer holidays like kids summer camp. Yeah.

00:03:48
Speaker 2: Okay.

00:03:50
Speaker 1: And do you have like a business or organization you’re involved with here on campus or in Harrisonburg.

00:04:01
Speaker 2: Not really. I’m involved in sort of being an ambassador for my university about Come here. If that makes sense so trying to get students to do a semester abroad at my university in.

00:04:18
Speaker 1: And so what are your future plans.

00:04:26
Speaker 2: Finish their share and go home. I’ll do my final year and then hopefully go into politics in some way either through journalism or work and so in office.

00:04:45

Speaker 1: What changes do you think you would like to see in Harrisonburg and we are going to save the world, in terms of foreign nationals.

00:04:53
Speaker 2: I think in terms of the world I think people should become a lot more tolerant of those that are foreign coming into that country. I know being from the UK it’s also a contentious issue that I personally think everyone should be welcomed everywhere. Yeah I just I think I’d like to see people become more tolerant unless scene phobic.

00:05:35
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah yeah.

00:05:40
Speaker 1: What do you think of the rhetoric used in immigration both here and abroad.

00:05:47
Speaker 2: I think it’s one to try and make people scared and to try and make people fear. People coming into the country and make them see them as a threat as opposed to someone that could help in which the culture already. I think it’s a shame. I think it should be the other way around.

00:06:11
Speaker 1: But what what do you think students should learn about immigration and foreign nationals having.

00:06:36
Speaker 2: During my youth but now I personally think it’s something that if possible every student should try and do. It’s been a really enriching experience for me in terms of learning about a new culture and sort of learning to embrace as much as possible and I think it’s something lots of students would benefit from if they could make it.

00:07:04
Speaker 1: That’s all I got so that’s going to be and be the end of the interview.