With an extended hand, a Santa Rosa Junior College cafeteria employee introduces himself to the young woman across the register from him. “Nice to meet you,” he says with a smile.

Surprised, she shakes his hand and says, “I’m Märta.”

Märta Bylow is an 18-year-old student from Sweden, and she has been astounded by how friendly the people of Santa Rosa have been.

“That would never happen in Sweden,” she said of the cafeteria worker. “We are not as social as you are to strangers. If we go on a bus, the Swede sits at the window with their bag on the seat next to them so no one can sit. But you guys sit and talk to everyone.”

Bylow is one of 21 students visiting SRJC for five weeks through an exchange program from Sven Eriksonsgymnasiet, an entrepreneurial school in Borås, Sweden.

In an interview April 9 at Doyle Library, Bylow, Sofie Zackrisson, Nicholas Muradov and Viktor Kullberg sat down to shed light on the program that brought them to the U.S.

In Sweden, students begin high school at 16, with an entirely different structure from American high schools.

Following graduation from ninth grade, students choose the specialized high school that they want to attend. Each school reviews students’ grades, but for more exclusive programs, like the one these students are enrolled in, the admissions process is more involved.

“They also put in an interview so that the right people and the qualified people with interest [in the program] can get in. Not just the smart guy with a lot of value [points],” Muradov said.

There are many kinds of programs to attend, from natural science to technical school. This allows for the students to explore their interests and do what they love.

All four students would like to someday run their own businesses and saw the rigorous entrepreneurial school as a good foundation for their careers.

“For me, it was the only program that sparked my interests, and my parents couldn’t say a thing about it. It was my choice,” Bylow said.

The Gymnasiet offers its students a world of opportunities,  and America is just a stop on their incredible journey. “Culture is a big part of our studies, so the first year of high school we went to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. And last year we went to Italy for a week,” Zackrisson said. “This trip is why I chose the entrepreneur program. I knew that I was going to the U.S.”

To come to the U.S., the students had to accelerate their academic schedule. While their friends will be finishing their school year late May, the 21 exchange students had to finish their curriculum and two extra courses prior to departure. In total, they completed over 50 hours more than their peers in other programs in Sweden.

“I don’t think that for any of us [coming to the U.S.] was the main reason for why we chose it; it’s more like a bonus in the program,” Muradov said. “It just gives you so much more than any other program: a higher education, and you are practically in college when you finish.”

Kullberg said, “All of the experiences and the travels are going to be huge. The program really pushes you to think big, to think like entrepreneurs.”

While they attend SRJC classes, some days remind them their stay is still somewhat of a vacation. “We study very hard, so it’s a good source of motivation, this trip. It’s like a reward for all of our hard work,” Zackrisson said.

The students are here for three more weeks and look forward to visiting San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas.

But while they are here, they will continue to enjoy the friendly people and beautiful weather. “It’s usually cold in Sweden; today is like a perfect, hot summer day,” Bylow said.