Home away from home—Exchange student Inna Zhekova is visiting Alleghany as an exchange student. She is shown with her host 'sisters and brother' (from left) Cate Hall, Zhekova, Victoria Hall and James Hall.

Ukrainian student visits Alleghany family

As a birthday present to herself, Inna Zhekova, a 16-year-old student from the Ukraine, took part in a 4-H program that allowed her to travel internationally, ultimately bringing her to Alleghany County.

Zhekova is residing in the home of Twin Oaks residents Al and Bonnie Hall and their teenagers Cate, Victoria and James. Zhekova will be spending 10 months with the Halls and spending her Ukranian senior year attending Alleghany High School.

After taking a flight to Washington on Aug. 8, Zhekova arrived in Alleghany on Aug. 10, a short time after school had begun here in the county.

Giving her impression of the county thus far, Zhekova commented, "I like it so much here. I like to live in mountains, very beautiful nature, I like it very much. Friendly people, everybody smiles and even (if) they don't know me, they say hi, how are you doing? That's cool."

Inna's Road to Alleghany

Zhekova said at a young age, she had an interest in traveling to foreign countries.

"It was like my dream," she said with a smile. She began to chuckle as she remembered, "When I was very little, I told my mom that I'll go to England, but I didn't know there was like America because I was very little."

Her interest in travel was peaked once more when she was in the ninth grade. At the time, she was being taught by a lady from Ohio who introduced her to a 4-H exchange student program. That year, she tested for the opportunity, but was unable to pass the necessary test.

"The hardest (part) was when you don't know what to choose," Zhekova said. "There is a question and four answers. Two of them are pretty similar and there's only one right. We have 10 or 15 minutes and 16 questions. I didn't pass that.

 

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