By Student Correspondent Delaney Park '25 for the Arlington Catholic Herald
Exchange programs are the types of affairs that would baffle the extraterrestrial mind. After all, how does one concisely explain the deeply human experience of traveling to a foreign country and making it one’s home, of meeting an assigned correspondent and parting as dear friends?
In early October, 20 students from Bishop O’Connell High School traveled to Reims, France to participate in the second year of an exchange program cycle with Lycée Privé St. Jean XXIII. These students continued a beloved tradition that has existed for over fifteen years. The cycle began again last year, with students from Reims traveling to D.C. The French exchange program began with a welcome reception with beignets at the host school and included incredible adventures ranging from a celebration of Mass at the Reims Cathedral to day trips to Lille and the Louvre-Lens museum.
At the same time, Spanish-speaking Bishop O’Connell students voyaged to Barcelona, Spain. Senior Chloe Obias said that the trip was “so educational and fun. I learned so many things about Spanish culture that I would have never known otherwise, and [it] furthered my Spanish.” Students were immersed in the environment of the region, from the traditionally late dinner times to linguistic challenges with encountering locals who spoke Catalan instead of Spanish.
Teachers from Bishop O’Connell’s World Languages Department may have been separated by nearly 700 miles, but they were united in their sentiments about their students’ respective experiences.
Señora Faryde Yanine and Señor Ciro Jimenez praised the Spanish exchange trip by saying, “It was an unforgettable experience that united cultures, broadened perspectives, and created memories that will last a lifetime. From the awe-inspiring architecture of Gaudí to the warmth of new friendships, every moment was a testament to the power of travel and learning.”
Mademoiselle Whitney Webb and Madame Jennifer Kirschbaum echoed their colleagues’ words, saying, “The students quickly became a part of a country, feeling at home with the people and the culture that they had only previously studied in school. How blessed we were as teachers to watch them conversing in a language that they have grown to love with their counterparts across the Atlantic, who have become their life-long friends.”
The language teachers were indispensable parts of the student experience abroad. Not only did they amply prepare their pupils for the cultural differences that they would encounter and strengthen their language skills, but they were also bastions of support and compassion. It takes only one conversation with any of the aforementioned teachers to see their true passion for this program and to witness the immense pride that they have for the participating students.
O’Connell students lived with their host students, becoming a part of their families for the eight-day duration of the program. Junior Joana Alves remarked on this special opportunity, saying, “I remember staying up with her, and we would talk about our lives and even exchange slang words.” She went on to add that she would “strongly urge” other O’Connell students to partake in the program.
Just one week earlier, Bishop O’Connell launched it’s first-ever German exchange program, hosting 14 students and two teachers from Pius-Gymnasium in Aachen, Germany. The group went on several local field trips and cheered for the Knights at an O’Connell football game. “It was a real joy to share our Catholic high school experience with our visitors,” said German teacher, Frau Sandra MacGregor. “Our students are looking forward to visiting the historic city of Aachen this spring and experience the daily life of a teenager in Germany.”
For the French and Spanish students, the exchange program will continue next October, when the school welcomes another set of exchange students to Arlington. They will be presented with opportunities such as touring the nation’s capital, visiting Colonial Williamsburg, and partaking in traditional Homecoming festivities. This program allows Catholic schools students to connect with each other and to realize the universal nature of their faith.
