If you are a student at SMAN 15 or have visited in the last few months, you may notice one particular student that stands out the most than the others. If you are wondering who he is, meet Elia Trapattoni, a 17 year old exchange student from Italy. He is going to be a part of Gambesmania for a whole year, so you better find out more about him.

This is the first time Libels welcomed an exchange student in the last 3 years, it’s also the very first time for Elia to join a student exchange program. In his country, students are only allowed once to join student exchange during their 3 years of senior high. So this is a completely new and exciting experience for both Libels and Elia.

The various and super unique cultures of Indonesia is Elia’s main reason to choose Indonesia aside from other countries. He wants to learn a completely different culture from his. Libels is the perfect place to learn that! The different extracurricular and culture in Libels will definitely give him lessons about the diverse and beautiful cultures of Indonesia. Supported by the kind students, great facilities, and an open school space to make the whole learning process easier.

Although he said he is having a fun time learning in Libels, he also finds some challenges. He finds it a little tiring and it’s harder to focus after a few hours because the long school hours in Indonesia which is 4 hours longer than school hours in Italy. He also need to adjust to the boundaries between the boys and girls, in Italy there’s a lot more freedom when it comes to that subject.

Despite the challenges he has to face, he highly recommend the students exchange program for students. If you are a student and you are interested in joining an exchange program but still afraid to do it, Elia has a massage for you, “You only live once, make the best out of it. Just do it!”