StC News
Up close with Max Nabokow '19
Max Nabokow, an international student from Haan. Münden, Germany, reflects on his first few months at St. Christopher's.
Max Nabokow ‘19 is one of two international students studying in the Upper School this year. Max, a member of the varsity soccer team and the Jazz Band, shared with us his thoughts about how school life is different in the United States compared to Germany.
What made you want to come to the United States to study?
I come from a small town in Germany called Hann. Münden of less than 25,000 people. When you grow up in a small town like this, you think about traveling to the world outside of it a lot. I speak French, English and Russian, so it’s easy for me to be in touch when I’m traveling around. I’ve been to France several times, spent time in the U.K. and also Spain. I’ve thought about coming to the U.S. for college, so this experience is a good way for me to see if that’s what I want to do.
What was your first impression of America?
There are some major differences in the way the students here relate to their teachers compared to what’s normal back home in Germany. But, if you compare my experience coming to the U.S. to Mohamed’s (Mohamed Ismacil ‘18, international student from Somaliland), this wasn’t too big of a shift.
Can you tell us more about that?
Yes -- you guys are like best friends with all teachers! In Germany, there is a huge emphasis on authority in school. If you see a teacher in the hallway, you wouldn’t greet them unless they approached you first. If you saw a teacher at the supermarket, you might approach him -- it just depends. I really like how friendly teachers and students are here.
What’s a typical school day like for you back home?
School ends at 1 p.m., so there are days during the week when you’re home by 1:30 p.m. We don’t have required sports, but there’s a sort of unwritten rule that you participate in at least one club sport. In Germany I play tennis, I swim, and row crew. Coming to St. Christopher’s I feel like I’m in training to become a professional athlete with all of the drills and the workouts. It’s more intense here, and I like that. Also the number of standout athletes here is incredible.
What’s it like living with a host family here in Richmond?
I’m living with a family with two boys, 2 and (almost) 5 years old. Back home in Germany I have a 12-year-old sister, so I’m still the big brother — only here I’m the much bigger brother. The boys like to do everything that I do. I’m a kind of role model to them. The mother of my host family was a successful softball player and coach, so naturally the 4 year old was into baseball. I think I have switched his passion to soccer — he wants to go to a (pretend) soccer practice every day now!
Outside of sports, what else gives you joy?
I play two musical instruments, clarinet and piano. Here at St. Christopher’s, I’ve joined the Concert Band and Jazz Band, and have started to play the tenor sax, since it’s quite similar to the clarinet. I picked it up pretty quickly, and I love playing in the bands.
What are you hoping to gain from this experience?
Practically, I’m hoping to get more comfortable with the language. Also, in Germany we have a lot of stereotypes about the U.S. Coming to a place like St. Christopher’s has changed my perception of Americans in a very positive way. As I mentioned, I’ve been interested in going to college in the U.S. for a while, and this experience has helped me get a better idea of what that would be like.
You’ve got plenty of time to figure this out, but have you given any thought to what career you might choose?
Everything is still open! I really like science, so that’s probably the field I’ll go in. My father is a doctor, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I’ll become one.
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