by Madison Helvie

From the previous AHSneedle story, we bring you part two of the exchange student story.  Sadia Shafique arrived to the United States and her host family’s home on Saturday, August 16.  She is staying in the home of two other students here at AHS, senior Mitchell Taylor and junior Mariah Taylor.  Sadia will be staying with them for the  2014-2015 school year.

The Taylor’s were notified two weeks before the start of the school year that Shafique’s original host family could no longer take her in, and if no one else could do it Shafique would not be able to come to the U.S.  Nick and Sue Hunt, neighbors to the Taylor’s and also a host family to past exchange students, asked if Taylor’s were willing to host Shafique.

The Taylor’s were interviewed, background checked, and house inspected.  After all of that, they went through the application process.  They were then accepted.

Shafique is from Muldan, Pakistan, a town a lot smaller than Atlantic.  Her family consists of 8 people.  She is 15 years old and currently enrolled as a junior here at Atlantic High School.  She enjoys playing badminton and soccer.  Shafique said that AHS isn’t too much different than hers, just the students and teachers, but  likes it here.

Mariah Taylor said, “I am super excited to have Sadia live with us.”  The Taylor family said they think it will be cool to have a new sister in the house.  Mariah also said that she had talked to Sadia a lot through Facebook before she arrived.

Sadia would like to become a doctor, and enjoys running, cooking, spicy foods, and kids.  She is also an artist, good at math, and likes to do Henna.  Henna is a temporary dye that comes from a Lawsonia Inermis, and is a cultural tradition for Sadia.  Shafique drew some henna on the family when she arrived.