New school, new country, new life. That has been the reality of sophomore Vincent “Frenchie” Basle, who moved to America from France at the beginning of the school year.

“I don’t really know who gave me the nickname, but eventually people just started calling me that and it stuck,” said Vincent.

Vincent moved to Rocklin from a tiny island off the coast of Canada called Saint Pierre-et-Miquelon, where he had made an exciting life for himself.

“Before I left I had an internship at the best photography studio on the island. My passion really is photography and luckily I’ve been able to continue it here in America.”

Coming to California from a tiny island in France, Vincent has received a giant culture shock.

“The people here act very differently here than back on the island. I always used to smile at cars when crossing the street and they used to smile back, but now when I do it I always get a funny look.”

“I immediately noticed the high school spirit. Everyone’s positive and showing the school spirit. I feel like there’s more of that than other schools. In France, we didn’t really have any school spirit. We didn’t have any rallies, extra activities or team sports. So it’s a very big difference for me.”

“The food, too, is very different. I used to go to the market several times a week to buy fresh groceries, but here everything is so preserved that it can last for a whole month.”

Even though he has been thrown into a totally new environment, he has had no trouble adapting to his new life at Rocklin High.

“I think it’s always interesting. Like, every day I discover something new and there’s always something good happening. It always gets more and more interesting every day.”

“I have made a lot of new friends here, and even have an amazing girlfriend. My new friends have helped me a lot with getting used to living here and I am very grateful.”

Vincent is very happy here in California, making new friends and living the best life he can, but his heart will always be back on the tiny island he calls home.