Students come from all over the world to go to school in Ojai. Vietnam, China, Japan, Canada, Mexico, the list goes on. What is it like to come from all these vastly different places and find yourself as a high school student living and learning in the Ojai we all call home? What do these international students think about Ojai and America?
With over two hundred international students in the Ojai Valley, these are questions that can be answered firsthand. Based on interviews with students from Villanova Prep, it’s clear that Ojai’s small-town charm contrasts with the fast-paced cities many of these students come from.
For students like Scott Dong from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the quiet and safe environment of Ojai is a refreshing change. Ansel Wu, who splits his time between Taiwan and Japan, appreciates the calm atmosphere where he can try new things. When asked about their favorite local restaurants, Esteban Lopez from Mexico named Ojai Pizza, while Adam Zhu, who divides his time between China and Canada, mentioned spots like Yume Burger and Revel.
Although Zhu pointed out Ojai’s lack of diversity, Wu highlighted the strong sense of community where “everyone knows everyone,” a feeling that sometimes leads to a lack of privacy. Despite these frustrations, many students emphasize the independence that comes with boarding school life. One student shared that Ojai offers him the freedom to “be himself” and free from the social pressures of his home country, while another noted that Ojai gives him the space to experiment, grow, and try new things.
When asked about America and its people, students had much more to share. Scott Dong, for example, observed that in Vietnam, family reputation and social status are incredibly important, saying you are “tied to your family.” In contrast, he noted that in America, “your family name doesn’t mean much,” and people “don’t take things too seriously.” When asked about a common misconception of America, he shared that while people back home view the U.S. very highly, in reality, “it is actually very normal and still has its flaws.”
Ansel Wu said that American families tend to be closer than those in Taiwan or Japan, where respect is much more important in family dynamics. Adam Zhu finds Americans more vocal and open– an observation that Scott Dong agreed with. Paulo Yberri from Tijuana, Mexico, added that Americans tend to be much more “open-minded,” while in Mexico, friendships often depend on one’s family background. He said that in the U.S., finding friends is “all about how kind you are.” Esteban Lopez, also from Mexico, echoed this, noting that “social dynamics are much different.” Yberri also mentioned that teenage Americans tend to wear baggier clothes than people in Mexico, which immediately stood out to him when he first came here.
You can leave Ojai and travel all around the world, or you can walk down the street because it seems the world has come to us. As Scott Dong recommends, if you ever find yourself in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, don’t miss the Notre Dame Cathedral– “a must-see”. We share Ojai with students from all over the world, and we should be taking advantage of this diversity.
So next time you’re somewhere in Ojai and see a high school student wearing a Thatcher t-shirt, or an Ojai Valley School hoodie, or a Beasant Hill sweater, or a Villanova Prep sweatshirt, there’s a good chance that they are from halfway across the world and have experienced far more than just in life in the Ojai Valley.