Sophomore Kye Marsh has lived in four different countries in his lifetime. After being born in Australia and moving to Singapore shortly after, Marsh moved to Houston, Texas when he was five years old. Marsh also lived in Norway, and his birthplace of Australia again, before ultimately moving to Portland last January.

Although he has spent many years in different countries, the only language he speaks fluently is English.

Marsh has not had a strong preference towards any of the places he’s lived. “I don’t really have a favorite spot that I go to,” Marsh said. “Each place has pros and cons. Each place has had good friends.”

Although some might assume that moving so often would be challenging, Marsh said that he does not find it hard, and that he enjoys most aspects of it.

“It’s been very enlightening to have those experiences, seeing the whole world with so many different cultures,” Marsh said. “When I was living up in Norway… I got to see a whole lot of Europe, it really helped me understand a lot more [of the differences between] Western culture.”

Despite enjoying some parts of moving frequently, Marsh said it can be difficult to maintain friendships that he has made in other countries. 

“It’s definitely on the more difficult side because… of how far I move each time, like I’ve moved to completely different time zones,” Marsh said. “When it’s the day for me it’s night for them, and vice versa.”

Marsh has had some culture shock moments in his life, like when he tried Lipton Peach Iced Tea here in America. In Australia it was his favorite drink, but when he tried it here in the U.S. there was a huge taste difference. 

“It was so much sweeter in comparison,” Marsh said. “I would say about five times sweeter than the Australian variety.”

Another culture shock moment is the difference between how Americans treat industry workers versus how Australians treat them.

“It’s weird for me to walk into a Starbucks or whatever, just going to grab a drink or something, and not to strike up a conversation with the waiter or barista,” Marsh said. “Here in America, they’re doing their job… but in Australia you’d have a full-on conversation, and next thing you know, the next time you come back to that place you’ve made buddies with the employees there.”

Currently, Marsh’s family has no plans to move anytime in the near future.

Due to the pandemic, Marsh unfortunately hasn’t had the opportunity to see a lot of Oregon, but he hopes to visit food carts or go skiing up on Mount Hood. 

At La Salle, Marsh participates in the Dungeons and Dragons club. He has said that this has helped him meet and connect with his classmates. 

Marsh’s favorite teacher at La Salle is Mr. Banks. “I personally wouldn’t really have much of a passion for Christology or any of that, and he helped facilitate an interest in those subjects,” Marsh said. “I actually feel compelled to want to actually get work done.” 

During his time at La Salle, Marsh hopes to help cultivate an environment that will be welcoming and accepting for when his sister comes to La Salle.