By BARBARA GREEN
Small town Texas may seem a far cry from small town France, but exchange student Maximillan Lenglet has found his niche in Nocona playing basketball, running track, fishing and all things Texan.
“Max” is attending Nocona High School and will finish out his year with his second host family. He began last August coming to live with Tammy and Steve Skinner in Nocona.
About three months later he moved in with the Tommy and Suzanne Storey Yowell family. There were plans for a third family, but that has changed and he will finish the year with the Yowells and also spend some time with the Skinners.
Lenglet hails from Lucheux, a town of just under 600 population in the northern France region of Picardie. His small town is a little more than 100 miles from the coastal cities of Calais and Dunkirk.
His parents are Stephane Lenglet and Virginiè, who both work in education. His mom is a history and geography professor, while his dad works in economics at the university. The teen is the middle of three boys. His oldest brother Clement is studying math and economics at college, and his younger brother Armand is a student.
Lenglet says he began thinking about becoming an exchange student when a friend returned from New Zealand and shared his experiences.
“I was very interested in learning a new language and a new culture, so I decided to do it. I didn’t know where, but I always liked America and wanted to come here and spend time,” he explains.
In considering locations, America was his first choice followed by New Zealand and Australia. When he was accepted for the program he first went to Florida, however, another change sent him to Texas.
His first thought about his future home, “Very, very happy.”

Read the full feature in the weekend News.