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top companies that work
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took pozden WRJ and Nice called
graduation season right now.
We got a graduate here,
Melissa Copril� who
you now you've had a, um, uh,
exchange student at your house
all this season. I did. And
now it's all over. If you'll
say that. Oh my goodness.
Yeah. My baby is graduating.
It is, it's hard because
it's not only is he graduating.
So it's definitely a moment
of celebration, but he'll be
going back home to Belgium.
And so what gives me a little
bit of I think I can suppress
some of the sorrow a little bit
is that I'm hoping in August to
go and visit and check out his
his homeland. So a little
tears. Oh, it's a yeah. I don't
think my family cried when
I graduated. I think the
thing was getting out now.
This is it. We got a push
amount of the house. Um,
Demetri, you're the graduate.
Yeah. Finally. How many years
have one year you graduated?
What high school in Kenosia?
So I went to Harbor, said
Academy. Okay. For one year.
It was, uh, it was really not
like, uh, I really wanted to
experience an American high
school with a big school, but
Harbor side was fully the
opposites. It was a fun
experiment, but I think I
would be better in a bigger
high school. But really, how
many people in your graduating
class? So 90 people. How much?
90, 90, 90. So it's similar
for the viewers aren't
familiar with Kenosia. It's
Harbor side. It's like Walden
here in Racine. So it's, uh,
you have to get in there through
a lottery system. So it's a bit
of a smaller school, more of an
alternative, but, uh, they have
a little bit of a different
structure to it, which is
appealing to me. That's where my
son goes, but my son is in the
sixth grade. How many people
were my graduating class?
970. Oh, goodness. It's really
in high school. We had over 4,000
students. Wow. I know. That's
a lot. That is quite a thing.
970. My yearbook is about
eight years, about eight years
after. I was, uh, yeah, thick.
And I'm sure you still have it.
I haven't. And I didn't know
most of the people there. Here's
a little tidbit story, though,
uh, girl, I went up marrying. It's
not my current one. My first
wife. I went to high school with
her and her twin sister for four
years. I never saw her in the
high school. Just, he didn't see
a lot of people. Yeah. 4,000
people in the school, you don't
see them. So I never saw him.
When I met her, I said, would
you go to high school? She goes
burner. I said, really?
Because that's the right way.
All right. So to meet you, you
graduated when to graduate. It's
I think one week ago. Come on.
Okay. And you already have a
job.
Well, you put up the work now.
He has a lot more free time for
me to put them to work. Now
realize he wasn't many sports
done. So it. You won a lot of
sports. Yeah. So yeah, I did a
four sport during my year and
abroad. And really, I really
enjoy it. And to be able to
the sport, even for free, like
golf, because it's very expensive
sports back at home. And to be
able to do it for free, it's
really so great. I really had fun
and to have this competition with
some ice cooler. It's really
amazing. It's just like putt
putt golf or real golf.
I really go. I got the windmill
hold down. I can get that bar
right through the window. Okay,
see, where's your home, by the
way? So my home is back in
Belgium. So what's it in the town?
So we live in, it's a really,
you're never going to be able to
pronounce it. It's. I don't know.
Was that the name? Yeah. Is that
the. I T T R E. It's in Belgium.
It's a little air now. What
big city is it near? So we have
Brussels. That's not far from
it. And for you, it's not far
because for us, it's too far.
It's like two hours from us. But
in two hours, we change country.
Well, I don't have a jetpack to fly
anywhere. So it's just it's two
hours for me, too. Yeah. Now, this
man who is sitting next to you
smiling with joy and being so
proud of you is who now. Say,
you dad. It's my father. Yeah.
From Belgium. Bella. Hello, Don.
What's your name? It's really
free pair. No, it's Philip.
Philip is more free. There's more
and more. Where do I get this
misinformation from? It came in
your head overnight. Yeah.
I don't care. And go, man, anything
you know. Now, you've been to
America before, right? Yes.
A couple of times because it's
the truth. It's Godfather is an
American. So really? And yes, I
met him a year ago in Brazil,
back in Brazil. And then we
stayed in contact. And since
then we're still in contact
with his Godfather. And I
visited him all the time. Here's
something I never understood. You
talk to most people in America
United States. They talk one
language. And they don't do that
well, either English. But you
speak to people in Europe and
they always speak multiple
languages. I mean, I took six
years of Spanish. All I know
is Albundigas is meatballs.
Oh, right. That's two years in
college. This is four years in
high school. Albundigas. That's
the only word I can remember
Spanish. If I'm an Italian
restaurant, yeah. That's that's
owned by Spaniards. The reason
maybe because America is huge.
Huge gone through the same
language English. Yeah, but
you, it's it's right. But you
probably what when you think in
English, don't you? Not really
now. I don't know in what
language. I'm thinking about
how to miss French, right?
French Dutch German. Oh, my
goodness. You know all those
languages. I do for my job. I
need them. But not everyone
do know all these languages.
But yes, I have to. How do
people know that? It's it's
impressive. Isn't it? But they
say people that are multi-lingual
have quick recall of
information and how they process
things is a little. I always
say I was a little more impressive.
It was impressed when the Pope
said I speak 15 languages.
I can't remember the names of
15 languages. And he speaks
50. I keep this in your head.
And again, a lot of people in
this country, their English is
poor. So. Well, this is very
interesting. So now you got a
high school graduate in your
family. Do you have any
brothers or sisters? So yeah,
I go to sister back at home
and a brother brother here.
Oh, brother. He's Melissa. So
it's really fun. I never out
of brother. So to experience
that then. 12 year old, my
years. Oh, the next year is the
really bad age 13. Yeah, that's
not a good age. I mean, sometimes
a fight between each other is
just like brother root. So really
we got so much fun and really
too. And now it's like my brother
I consider like my brother and
so yeah, I think it's going to
be for life. And I will never
forget him. And that's amazing.
Okay. So after you goof off for
the summer in the fall, what do
you plan to do? It's really, I
don't know. Yeah. It's really
great. So I still need to, to
see maybe a content. I will see
really. You want to go to college
or no? I'm thinking of it. Yeah,
but it's still. I don't know.
Well, I realized, Don, their
education system is definitely
a higher standard and a lot more
rigorous than what we're accustomed
to here. So I think he's enjoyed.
This is actually more of a gap
year forum here. He has already
respectedly graduated from Belgium
already. And then he decided to
do high school and hold another
year again. Oh, this is your
second graduation. So yeah, like
so here I came just for English
to learn English. So really when
I got graduated in second time,
I really didn't care. So I don't
need to embarrass you or anything
here. But did that French accent
really work you with the women,
the girls in high school? Hey,
word, but it's not for me. Really
people love it. But I really hate
it. I was like, I need to get off
of that because every time I was
just seeing hello, everyone was
like, are you from here? I'm like,
I just we say hello. Yeah, I'm
from the south side. I couldn't
know. That's for the action
come from you. It's charming,
isn't it? But he wanted to lose
his French accent. And but
everybody was so drawn to him.
And I'm young and all. The so,
it wasn't just the girls driving
Anton. We try not to think of
that. And we both have the
curly hair going for us. Yeah.
You know, in high school,
they always in school. They
was going, hey, curly top,
come here curly top. You know,
it's fun to me. I saw a high
school reunion pictures. Most
of those guys don't have hair
anymore. So who's got the last
last? Well, this is good. So
an accountant. Maybe you want to
deal with money? You want to
do that? I don't know. Yeah.
Yeah, because like in Belgium,
you know, when you study,
there are studies that's. It's
really long and really hard
to make money. And that
contents is really more, um,
I think you you're sure to
find a job and to make money
really fast. So I don't know.
I'm still figuring it out.
But yeah, I think he's, he's
an away to seeing it for the
moment. Yeah. Dan Young and
old. We're always still trying
to figure things out. So.
My mother used to tell me
she's this is what I'm
doing. My mother used to tell
me she's this is what you want
to do for a living. Do the
dish. This is what you're
going to do. Um, I might
live till 92. She passed away
a couple of years ago. She was
still saying, Hey, sure, this
is what you want to do. I said
yeah, this is the end of the
line. This is what we're doing
here. She said what you, you
know, your brother's a doctor
and you know, no, she never
pushed me. What she used to say
that to me. This is this is it.
This is the plan. Well, we're
grateful that it's your plan.
You you keep it lively here.
It's a good voice. But I started
cleaning toilet bowls. Um, and
this is what you, I said, no,
I'm planning to graduate from
toilet bowls to something else
eventually. So you got your
high school diploma. Yeah, where
is it? Are you with it? Yeah, I
didn't bring in the best. I
needed proof. Oh, he was a good
student. Yeah. It wasn't hard
to be a good student. You know
what my high school diploma is?
I tell the story a lot. It's in
a landfill somewhere. My mother
when she was moving from New
York to Florida was cleaning out
the house. Just throwing everything
out. She threw up my beetles
ticket stubs. She threw out my
high school diploma. And when I
said to her, how can you do that?
She goes, if it was important to
you, you would have taken it with
you. That's such a good.
That's mom. Remember, I'm the one
picking out the home for you.
So be very careful. Well, this is
just great. I'm very, I saw you
when you first came here and
you were starting school. That's
good. And so what you learn about
going to school in America, how
different is it from Belgium?
It's really like, there is a lot
of differences. And the level, I
think most of the time, it's we
don't study a lot. We don't have
to study so much. It's like really
relaxed. And they don't try to
put pressure on you. And they
really care about you. So which
school did you call to?
Yeah. Now my high school. It is
a lot different just from looking
at my, you know, my oldest is
31 and the education and how
it's laid out now compared to
what my, my 12 year old is going
through. And Dimitri had mentioned
early on. Some of the curriculum
that they were working with is
curriculum he did when he was in
the middle school. So a lot younger
and a lot of, and they do their
tests are usually longhand. It's
not multiple choice and they're
always having to study. So that's
more of the Belgium education
system compared to our education
system. Wow. You know, I just, I
didn't, I was not a good student.
I didn't study a lot. Um, I got
so, so great. Just somehow I
went up in the national honor
society. My mother couldn't
figure it out either. She even
said, you should Donald is the
you sure you want me to you
straight at the right son. And
he goes, yes, you do. So I was
just never a good student. But
you sound like you were a great
student. I saw the pictures of
you, all the sports and
everything. Yeah. I mean, Melissa
just post everything now. What
happened this past week? This
was like a special because I
saw these photos on Facebook.
You've been set up a whole
Facebook page. I do. Yes, because
it's his farewell celebration
for graduation. So we're all
the people being that his dad's
in town. Uh, Dimitri just wants
to show him as much as he can
in this time. So why not have a
celebration and, you know, we
got to keep that positivity up
so I don't crash with sadness.
So, um, but you know, what's
fascinating, Don, I think of as
a mother, um, with my child,
leaving my house and just being
hours away is so hard for me. I
couldn't imagine with Philip
having his son not knowing what
Wisconsin looks like or where
it's like here in America and
what family he's going to be
with. What are their rituals?
So, you know, I often think
about that. And I think I bond
over that compassion that he
must, uh, you know, have her
son and let me ask him to
fill up. Yes. Did you have a
great year when you're having
your son here? At the NIST is
now empty. We can do what we
want. Finally, we got him out
of here. We hoodwinked him
in America to take him for a
year. Listen, I eventually
started potting, you know.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no,
tell you the truth. I was really
scared and, uh, I, uh, I feared
to, to, to, to lose my son, I
that, uh, to, to, to, to, need
a step to go to America,
especially not knowing to whom
he was going to. And I had
really sound the phone several
times, but you can't, I am so
grateful to Lisa. She was even
more than, yeah, she took care
of him. She took more than
care of him. And with Gade, this
of brother, uh, it's, it's
amazing. Really, I really, I
was relieved and sad at the same
time because he was away, but
I really was relieved knowing
that he was with Melissa. He was
great, lady. I picture the
plane taking off with him as he
went to America and as he went
into the cloud, you said, he's
gone. Let's go. We can't see
if he's out of here. Let's go.
Start the party. Yeah.
Wasn't it neat? Wasn't I?
I know. Well, this is a once
in a lifetime opportunity.
A lot of people don't get this
opportunity. I mean, I, I
traveled over to, um, to, uh,
Israel once in the Netherlands
because of my, we had a relative
in the Netherlands. And I couldn't
speak the language. And I was
just, you know, people are
staring at me because I'd stare
back at them after they talked
to me. I know what you're saying.
And Americans seem to think if
you speak slowly enough, they'll
understand you, which is just
wrong thinking because it doesn't
work like that. Well, thank you
for coming in because I wanted
to meet you. I wanted to meet
the dad of this, uh, bright
young man who's got a great
future ahead of him. And I'm
going to say something to you.
Turn that mic around a second
here. You be good. Behave
yourself. No, there'll be no
problem. Make us all proud. I
know you're going to do that.
I know you're going to make
everybody. And I want to hear
updates. You're going to get
updates. Yeah. He's not getting
away. So we're going to hear
updates. If you ever come back
again, this room right here,
okay? We want to update on
your. Are you going to go
waiting for you back in,
Belgium? Oh, son. The
pressure. It would be too
long. Why would I want to
know? We got the parents
really good. I didn't say he's
doing anything wrong. I just
said you have a girl waiting
for you. No, it's too long
one year. I like. Who do we
20 years? Yeah. What woman
should wait around? I don't
know. No, no, no. No. But you
know what is a good plug? This
was a once in a lifetime
opportunity for, you know, for
many students that come through
the Foreign Exchange program.
This is the time they're
recruiting. So if any listeners
want to partake in foreign
Exchange programs, the one that
Dimitri comes from is the
Nassau Open Door NACEL. But
there's other ones. I think
the Rotary Club has it. I know
that the Racine Sister City
tends to try to place some
students for a short period of
time. And AFS, American Field
Studies Services. So there is
some great opportunity. I probably
won't be doing it for the next
year, but I'm looking into the
foster care system, which so the
viewers, if they want to tune in
to the County Board on July 9th,
if that's a Tuesday or July 8th,
whatever the Tuesday is around
there at 630, we're going to have
a presentation for Racine
County's foster care system. So
they're looking for foster
parents and also families that
would provide respite for those
who are housing some of the
foster kids. Well, I'm glad
you're doing this because I don't
have time watching date line
reruns. I don't have time to
do crime. Well, thanks for
giving us the platform stage
to highlight it. You're always
welcome here. Thank you. Just
show up at the door. I'll let
you in. Oh, sure. Yeah. Right,
you're just talking to me out
there. He's got this speaker
system now. So, yeah. Philip,
thank you very much. You're
welcome. I'm very glad to get
to meet you. Dimitri, you're
going to make everybody proud.
I know you will. I know you
will. I'm going to be
guys.
