William Boczkowski (10) recently moved to Florida from Denmark. During his time in Denmark, he won the Danish national championship with his U15 volleyball team, Amager-Gentofte.
In May 2025, he played up in U16 and placed second in the Denmark national volleyball championship. Currently, he is playing volleyball for the Kiwi U15 team. Volleyball is not the only difference between America and Europe.
Boczkowski was asked about the differences between schools in America and Europe.
“It’s been a big change; American schools are more social and activity-based, while European schools are more academic and independent,” Boczkowski says.
Going to school in multiple countries really shows how different countries approach academics and how students’ high school experiences differ.
When asked how his fellow classmates have helped him feel welcomed, he said, “So far it has been very caring and a warm welcome. I’ve managed to make lots of friends and have felt quite comfortable with the move.”
Jackson McDonell (10) commented on his opinion of Boczkowski.
“Will’s been a great friend because I have him in one of my classes he’s super nice and helps me with a lot of my work,” McDonell says. “He writes like he’s from the 1600’s so its kind of hard to understand sometimes, but he’s super nice and super kind and caring.”
“School in Denmark has smaller classes, more independence, and a strong focus on academics,” Boczkowski says. “While school in Florida has more school spirit, sports culture, and more opportunities to be involved in activities.”
Sophomore Josh Uttech thoughts on how sports affect his high school experience are “Going to football games every Friday night are super fun for me. I have something to look forward to during the week, and I get to see all my friends there,” Uttech said.
Boczkowski is a Danish National Volleyball Tournament alumni. winning once and placing second once.
“Honestly, I’d say in Europe it [volleyball] is a bit of a bigger sport. But here they do have more events and more tournaments, and it’s more of like a team sport where you’re very connected to your peers,” Boczkowski says.
When moving to a new country finding new friends is very important. For Boczkowski, his attitude and accomplishments have eased his move to a new, unfamiliar place.