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Exchange student in Houston area goes viral
An Italian foreign exchange student became a Houston TikTok sensation after a hilarious accent mix-up led his host family to buy him a chicken pot pie instead of his bucket-list request for Popeyes. He shared his experience in the US with FOX 26's Mekenna Earnhart.
HOUSTON - An Italian foreign exchange student at Cypress Creek High School who became a global social media sensation is heading home, but not before one final viral moment that has captured the attention of millions.
Viral foreign exchange student
The backstory:
Alessandro Salimei moved from Italy to northwest Houston for the school year to experience American teenage life. He quickly became a local celebrity on TikTok after a comical linguistic misunderstanding with his host family went viral.
"I asked for Popeyes because it was on my fast food bucket list to try," Salimei said in a sit-down interview with FOX 26. "But she took me to get a chicken pot pie. I was like, 'What is this thing? I don't understand. No, I wanted the fried chicken.'"
The video documenting Salimei's genuine confusion and subsequent underwhelming reaction to the traditional American pot pie amassed over 8 million views. The joke culminated on Halloween when Salimei's host sister, Ashley, spent four days hand-making a life-sized Popeyes chicken box costume out of real restaurant materials for him to wear.
"I realized I couldn't fit in the school bus," Salimei laughed. "I was like, 'Mmm, I might just wear that for Halloween with my friends but skip the school part.'"
Strict board policies
What they're saying:
As the academic year concluded, Salimei found himself viral once again—this time under more complicated circumstances. Due to school district policy, Salemi was informed he would not be allowed to walk across the stage at the graduation ceremony.
In a statement to FOX 26, the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District cited strict board policies requiring students to complete all Texas courses and financial aid milestones to participate in commencement.
Furthermore, the district explained the structural differences between the two school systems. Italy requires 13 years of schooling to graduate high school. Because Salimei had only completed 11 years in Italy, CFISD permitted him to enroll as a 12th grader for the cultural experience but deemed him ineligible to receive a Texas diploma. He must return to Italy to finish his final year of education.
Though Salimei was sidelined from the traditional procession, Cypress Creek High School Principal Martin Drayton ensured the exchange student was not forgotten. During his commencement speech, Drayton paused to give Salimei a personalized shout-out, recounting the viral pot pie saga to thousands of attendees.
A video clip of the principal’s speech has since exploded on TikTok, surpassing 23 million views.
"I had no idea. He surprised me and my whole host family," Salimei said. "I feel like that's even way better than walking the stage. Everybody walks the stage, but who gets a shout-out?"
Drayton’s speech also referenced a rumor that Salimei had landed a corporate sponsorship with the fast-food chain. Salimei cleared up the misconception, clarifying that while Popeyes corporate did send the family gift cards, there is no official brand deal.
"I think that kind of was a mistake," Salimei said. "I just love it."
"It's the American dream."
What's next:
While Salimei advocated that future exchange students should ideally be permitted to walk with their classmates, he expressed immense gratitude for his time in Houston, listing Olive Garden and Raising Cane's among his other favorite American discoveries.
Salimei is scheduled to return to Italy to complete his 13th year of school, but he hopes the move is temporary.
"I really hope I get to live here in the U.S. because it's the land of opportunities," Salimei said. "It's the American dream."
The Source: Alessandro Salimei, CFISD