CANFIELD — Rocio Chernopoloff will have a lot to talk about when she returns to Argentina in June.

She is a Rotary exchange student who joined the Canfield High School Speech and Debate Team and earned a trip to the state finals last weekend.

Rocio’s experience on the speech team was one with which she had no problem. Although she has a strong South American accent, she displays mastery of the English language.

“I had 14 years of English,” she said.

At age 18, that means she began studying English at 4.

She said things in Argentina are a lot different than in the U.S. The school year in Argentina, for example, runs from March through the end of September.

“It is summer right now,” said the daughter of Marcelo Chernopoloff and Evangelina Milano.

The school day is very different as well. Rocio said school starts at 7:30 a.m. and runs through 1:30 p.m. The students head home for a nap and at that time of day, all the local stores are closed.

“I miss the naps,” she said.

Another interesting detail is the classrooms. She had to adapt to Canfield High School and get used to moving from one classroom to another when the bell rang. In Argentina, she said, students in her school would stay in the classroom and the teachers would move around. She added that students also would choose a program, and the school would select the classes.

One good aspect about her hometown of Santa Teresita is it’s a coastal city with a nice beach along the Atlantic Ocean. The city is in the province of Buenes Aires, and the beach is called La Costa Partido.

Though the school is one aspect of her journey here, the other is enjoying the host family and learning about local history by visiting museums and cultural centers. She will travel to New York with the Testa family and will be heading to Florida on Easter break.

Chris Testa said he learned about the exchange program through the high school. Along with his wife Liz, the application was filled out and the family was selected for the opportunity.

“Our daughter Kitt is 13 and a student at Canfield Middle School,” Chris said. “For her it will be like having a big sister.”

He said Rocio has a limited amount of time, and there is so much she has not yet experienced.

“When you grow up and live in the U.S., there are a lot of things we take for granted,” he said. “So it is fun to explore and enjoy those things.”

Rocio will head home in mid-June. She said she plans to stay in touch with her host family as she pursues college.

“I want to study international law,” she said. “I am interested in politics and the United Nations. I want to be the person who changes the reality of my country.”

As for the past weekend’s state speech finals. Rocio didn’t make it to the elimination rounds, but she did get experience competing in the international extemporaneous category.

jtwhitehouse@vindy.com