Interview by Gainesville High School Junior and Abernathy Cochran Intern Kate Willis
Meet Mina Fischer! Mina is an exchange student from Germany that has been enrolled at Gainesville High School for the 2023-2024 school year. She is a sophomore, plays the saxophone in Gainesville’s band, the Big Red Machine, and is on the track team. Her parents, Sascha and Bahar, and little brother, Teoman, live in Ludwigsburg, Germany. She is currently staying with Jerry and Janice Fischer for the rest of the school year before she leaves to finish her last 2 years of highschool in Germany.
Question: Why did you decide to become a foreign exchange student and spend a year at Gainesville High School?
Answer: “I wanted to experience other cultures, and I thought that Gainesville was a very good example of a typical American town. I wanted to experience what community is like and what school is like, and I feel like Gainesville highschool is a very diverse school.”
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Hall County, and what do you love there?
A: “My favorite restaurant is probably Taqueria Tsunami, and I really like their tacos and their healthy bowls. I feel like whenever I eat there I feel kind of healthy, but it’s also so good.”
Q: What is your favorite American food?
A: “Chicken wings; I just really like chicken wings and I feel like I’ve never tasted such good chicken wings before since Gainesville is like the chicken capital.”
What is one of the most unique or craziest aspects of America that you have experienced so far?
A: “The churches are so popular. A lot of people go to churches and a lot of people love being a part of the community and the churches, especially the youth. They have huge youth programs here, which are not really big in Germany.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met in Hall County so far and why?
A: “My friend, Freda; she’s so outgoing (like very outgoing), extroverted, and not afraid to say what she thinks.”
Q: What is your favorite childhood memory?
A: “I really liked going to the Christmas markets with my grandparents because they were always so full, and they would always get me a little something. We would eat German Christmas foods like krapfen, drink punch, and just have a lot of sweets; it was always so magical.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
A: “I would probably go and see Thailand because I have never been there and it’s so different from everything else I’ve seen so far. I’d like to see what the culture is like.”
Q: What is the first movie you remember seeing in a theater?
A: “‘A Turtle’s Tale 2.’ I was around six or five, and I just remember that it was 3D, which scared me. It was mainly a way for me to say goodbye to kindergarten.”
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: “Always try something so you don’t regret not doing it at all.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “Swimming with dolphins; I really want to see dolphins in nature.”
Q: What is your favorite music/ three bands you would like to see (dead or alive)?
A: “I would love to see Michael Jackson because he’s a legend, and I really like his music; I would have just loved to have seen him. I also really like Earth Wind and Fire… I kinda would have loved to see them in their old constellation because their lead singer is no longer there. I’d also probably want to see Queen.”
Q: Choosing anyone (past or present and a non relative) with whom would you love to have lunch?
A: “If it could be anyone, I would choose Princess Diana. I really want to know more about her life and how she felt in her position. I feel like she is the perfect example of a confident, strong, and independent person. It would be cool to talk to her.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about Hall County so far?
A: “I really like the community in itself. I like how there’s usually always someone you know, but you also don’t know everyone.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
A: “In five years, I hope I am in college. I don’t really know if it will be in Germany or here in the U.S., but hopefully I will study some hard and difficult subject.”
Q: What three words mean “Home” to you?
A: “Family, friends, and happiness.”
Q: If you were cast into a major motion picture and had your choice of anyone to be your co-star, who would you choose?
A: “Tom Hiddleston.”
Q: If you had a full-time staff member that was fully paid for, who would you choose?
A: “I would have somebody do chores and clean for me.”
