Alexandra Gobran ‘23
Caroline Sewell ‘23
Waking up in an unknown environment, attending a different school, being surrounded by strangers away from family and familiarity–all of which are a part of the reality of doing international exchange programs–may feel a bit daunting. However, this reality is something many Episcopal students have jumped at the chance to partake in, enjoyed, and learned from. EA is fortunate to have a variety of different foreign exchange opportunities, which students are able to take advantage of.
EA has relationships with schools across the globe, which allows students to visit various countries over the summer. Schools include Herschel Girls’ School and Bishops Diocesan College (a boys’ school) in South Africa, as well as Central Coast Grammar School (a co-ed school) and St. Peter’s College (a boys’ school) in Australia. Amy Brotschul, coordinator of the study abroad programs, explains who qualifies for the trips, saying, “It’s open to people who have completed freshman and sophomore year,” and comments on the logistics of the program, continuing, “They go for 6-8 weeks because sometimes you come back a little bit earlier due to your sport, and you live with a family there.”
Although the program did not run in the summers of 2020 and 2021, Brotschul is optimistic for this year’s program, saying, “The co-ed school in Australia and the boys’ school in South Africa have both contacted EA, and their schools have good practices in place, and they’ve been very safe, I mean they are just starting up, but they feel that they have good practices in place for students to come this summer, and then whoever hosts them will come to us at the very beginning of October, and stay through Thanksgiving, so they get to celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving with us, and they love that.”
Despite encountering completely different environments after coming back from their study-abroad experiences, Episcopal students have shared similar sentiments surrounding how their trips enabled them to grow and develop skills which they are now able to apply to their lives at home.
Bishop Diocesan College and school-to-school exchange
Alec Riley ‘22, who studied abroad in Summer 2019, attended Bishops Diocesan College, in Cape Town, South Africa for a month and a half, comments, “It was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but also one of the things that made me grow the most I’ve ever grown.” He continues, “It’s really an opportunity for you to discover yourself away from the community you’ve been around your entire life and it teaches you a lot about how to be independent, how to live on your own because I was at a boarding school, and also how to make new friends in new places.”
Swiss Semester
Like Riley, Berkeley Sando ‘22, who did Swiss Semester–a program where students travel to Switzerland to explore the town of Zermatt and surrounding areas–initially felt some uneasiness about her trip, but it ended up being a great learning experience. While in Switzerland, her day-to-day schedule was always packed. Sando notes, “Every morning breakfast would be at seven in the hotel where we stayed. The school was in the basement of the hotel–the suite rooms were converted to classrooms. And then we would have morning classes followed by four hours of outdoor group activities.” She continues, “Before it started snowing, we had a cycle of hikes, rock climbing, and a lab for our geology course. And then in winter we skied for that period. And then we had classes and the end of the day followed by dinner and study hall to do homework.”
While the full schedule was a bit overwhelming at first, she grew to like it. Sando explains, “At first I wasn’t a huge fan of the super strict schedule but it was honestly really nice. It made me super productive.” Currently, it is unclear whether the Swiss Semester will run this year.
CIEE and Language-based exchange
The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) is another exchange opportunity which has a stronger emphasis on language immersion. Students travel to a country with a group of their peers, and explore the country, while immersing themselves in its language and culture. Evie Aldrige ‘23, a Summer 2021 attendee recounts her experiences, “I spent two weeks in Nice, France with a high school abroad program. I stayed in an apartment where around 25 kids on the trip stayed with me. Each day we had French class based on ability for three hours in the morning, then free time and other activities in the afternoon.”
The design of the program allowed Aldridge to thrive. She says, “The people on that trip became some of my closest friends and I still talk to them all the time. The skills I got helped me improve my listening and oral skills tremendously, and I can say that by the end of my trip I could get by at restaurants, shops, and conversations with locals. The confidence in my French ability was definitely one of the best things I gained.”
Experiment in International Living
Experiment in International Living provides a less language intensive yet still community-oriented program. Although no EA students have participated in the program yet, Brotschul promotes the opportunity, explaining, “There you can find programs about social issues, about global issues, and you don’t necessarily have to speak Spanish in Costa Rica, for example. It’s a wonderful opportunity. There’s summer programs from two weeks to four weeks.”
Further Reflections
Another unique aspect of studying abroad is that while each fosters personal development, they do so in different ways, so no two programs are identical. For instance, while Aldridge’s was more language-oriented, Sando’s focused on outdoor experience away from the influence of technology. She notes, “One of my favorite parts was being able to get away from technology and focus on myself for a bit. We weren’t allowed to have any computers or phones or anything with a screen. We could only have an iPod shuffle to listen to music. But, it really helped with my time management because I couldn’t spend hours on my phone and it made me spend my free time with my friends and exploring the beautiful town of Zermatt.”
In light of the unique experiences and windows for self-growth that studying abroad provides, some Upper School students find themselves eager to participate in trips just as Riley, Sando, and Aldridge did. For instance, Gaeli Keffer-Scharpf ‘23 says, “I would love to be able to participate in a study abroad program in the future. I think being exposed to different cultures, different people, different environments, would be such an amazing opportunity to gain more perspective on the world. It just seems like an interesting and incredible experience.”
Although experiences abroad were valuable, EA students also served as host families to students from other countries. Sydney Clemmer ‘23, who housed an exchange student from South Africa her freshman year, comments, “It was interesting. She talked about the cultural differences–things that she had in South Africa that weren’t in America and vice versa. She discussed how school was different. Overall, it was a really unique opportunity to see different perspectives.”
Brotschul reflects on the relationships the exchange students formed, stating, “All the girls from South Africa knew each other, and all the kids from Australia knew each other. But they became a really nice group of kids, there were 8 of them, and they all became friends.”
Foreign exchange students also participated in activities and sightseeing while in the U.S, visiting locations like Philadelphia and Washington D.C. and attending football games. They also actively participated in the EA community. Riley comments on his experience as a host, saying, “Matt Tripe, he was my exchange student, and he came back here in the fall, and he loved it here. He was really good friends with everybody here, and he really took advantage of everything EA had to offer.”
Similarly, Alex Swanepoel, a 2019 foreign exchange student, played on EA’s water polo team. Mia Filipovski ‘23, her teammate, comments on Swanepoel’s ability to quickly immerse herself into the team culture, stating, “She was really cool and a huge asset for our team because she was a great water polo player, but was also able to bond and connect with the whole team pretty quickly and fit right in.”
All the attendees enjoyed their experiences, and encourage prospective students to try, and to make the most of their opportunities when they do so. Aldridge advises, “Give yourself to the culture, people, and program. Embrace the culture of wherever you are and respect it, try your best to follow their customs. Don’t hide in your room, introduce yourself to your fellow students, go get food, go to a bookstore, a museum, or anywhere else. Try your best to speak the language whenever you can to get the most out of our experience.” Likewise, Sando shares, “I would absolutely recommend it to everyone. It was by far the best part of high school.”
Similarly, Riley urges students to study-abroad, even if it involves going outside of their comfort zones. He says, “Just go for it. I know my summer before going into sophomore year I really wasn’t doing much anyway, and I was afraid to do it, and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done, and I’ll never forget it. It’s worth the risk. At some point, you’re going to have to put yourself out there and take some risks, so why not start as early as you can.”
Photo courtesy of Berkeley Sando ‘22