Watertown High School Welcomes Norwegian Exchange Student Eira Norbech for 2026–27 School Year
- Steve Jurrens
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - As the fall school semester approaches, Watertown High School is welcoming a new international perspective to its classrooms and sports fields. Eira Norbech, a 16-year-old high school student from coastal southern Norway, has arrived in South Dakota to spend the 2026–2027 academic year as an exchange student hosted by the Hauck family.
Arriving in early August to join pre-season practices for the Watertown Arrows girls’ soccer team, Norbech has already begun adjusting to daily life in the Midwest.
“I really like getting into a routine and just living a normal life here—going to school, practice, and doing everyday stuff that people here usually do,” Norbeck said during a recent interview on Northeast Radio SD with Steve Jurrens.
For Norbech, the move across the Atlantic comes with several notable cultural shifts. In Norway, high school focuses almost exclusively on academics, without school-sponsored athletic teams, Homecoming, or Prom. Extracurricular sports and activities operate separately through local community clubs rather than through the school system.
“High school spirit is much bigger in America than in many countries in Europe,” Norbeck noted, highlighting Friday night football games and school dances as experiences she is most excited to take part in as a junior at Watertown High.
Daily routines also look quite different. In Norway, the legal driving age is 18, and students typically commute on foot or by public transit. Norbeck routinely walked 45 minutes each way to her local school. Other initial surprises included the sheer variety of items in American grocery stores and the outgoing nature of locals.
The host family, Rachel Hauck and her family, are no strangers to the foreign exchange program. Norbeck is the fourth international student the family has hosted, following previous students from Spain, Finland, and Italy. Heavily involved in the local soccer community, the Haucks intentionally seek out exchange students who share a passion for the sport.
Under Watertown School District policies, up to six foreign exchange students are permitted per academic year, with a maximum of two from any single placement organization. Exchange students attend for the full 10-month school year, allowing them to participate in milestone events like Prom and Homecoming.
Norbech’s soccer season officially kicks off this weekend with the Watertown Arrows varsity and junior varsity teams taking the field. Beyond athletics and academics, she looks forward to experiencing a full South Dakota winter, trying local cuisine like fresh walleye, and immersing herself in community life before returning to Norway to complete her final year of secondary education.
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