TRAVERSE CITY -- For some students adjusting to a new school can take some time, but for one student here at Traverse City West Senior High it's not so much the classroom he's getting used but instead this cold white stuff that most of us here in northern Michigan take for granted."
 
Erik Vallejo Freire is your typical 17 year old high school senior.  It's the snow that isn't so typical for him.

"I see the sky and the snow is coming and I was like 'cool the snow' and I was like touching the snow and I was like wow snow is cold," says Erik.
         
Erik is a foreign exchange student from Ecuador...and as you might imagine being close to the equator, snow doesn't fall there.  So, for the past few months, Erik has been seeing winter for the very first time.

"What is harder for you to get used to, the classroom or the snow?" asks 7&4 News.

"I think the snow because in the classroom, like once they know you they are friendly and stuff but the snow is cold," says Erik.
        
The high school senior isn't only adjusting to northern Michigan winters, but he also plans to literally jump deeper into the experience.  This weekend, Erik and another exchange student from Hong Kong are taking part in the Polar Bear Dip during Empire's Winterfest.

"I was thinking about having a good time because I am making history here.  You don't know anyone from Ecuador doing this stuff!" says Erik.

"Just in terms of Erik and him doing the jump, it's fun to watch exchange students come into Traverse City West and make friends and excel, and it's also fun to see what aspects of their own culture they bring and share," says Traverse City West Senior High teacher, Charles Rennie.
       
Erik along with the exchange student from Hong Kong will be the first international participants taking part in the Polar Bear Dip.  They will be jumping into South Bar Lake in Leelanau County on Saturday.