On Sept. 29, Lexington High School opened its doors to a group of exchange students from Neuchatel, Switzerland. From yellow school buses to pizza at lunch, these Swiss students immersed themselves in American high school life for two weeks.
The Swiss exchange program occurs every two years, with unique presentational themes for each exchange.
“Our first year was affirming and accepting diversity. The second time around was human rights, and this time it was sustainability…We had guest speakers…They went to the Museum of Science to look at the exhibit on green cities. We went to a farm to learn about sustainable practices with crop rotation,” said Beckie Bray Rankin, the program organizer.
The goal of the exchange was to give students opportunities outside of France to increase linguistic competency.
“The homestay part is important for understanding more about the culture, and trying to live the culture. Doing that exclusively in France didn’t give students this idea of La Francophonie, which is all the French speaking places,” Brankin explained.
Planning began early, with extensive communications between the LHS French department, their counterparts in Switzerland, and even the Swiss government. Students were first informed of their possible eligibility in the spring.
For many of the host students, the exchange brought a chance to see their everyday lives through fresh eyes. Junior Asa Mele, a host from LHS, said that “having someone entirely different in my house, and [in] my family, who I can spend time with, talk to, and teach them about the ways of life here” was the most rewarding part of hosting.
LHS students are already looking ahead to the second half of the exchange, when they’ll travel to Switzerland in February. When asked what they were looking forward to, Mele said, “We’ve done stereotypical American things here, like going to Costco, so getting to do things like that in Switzerland.”
Mele’s guest, Nikolay Bouchot, expressed appreciation for the relaxed atmosphere at LHS, where “teachers and students are not stressed about being at school.”
Julia Lofeld, another exchange student, was surprised by how much emphasis was placed on creativity in American classrooms: “The size is double from my school in Switzerland, and the teachers have their own classroom. But in Switzerland, the students have their own classrooms and the teachers change, so it’s very different.”
Despite initial nerves, students like Mimo Girieu found their new environment easy to adjust to, especially when it came to living with a host family. “They still let me have my space, but they really include me. I’m a part of this family, and that’s just really nice,” said Girieu. LHS students also shared how they prepared their exchange students’ arrival, from planning activities with their family to introducing them to teachers beforehand.
The Swiss students’ departure on Oct. 7 concluded the third year of the Swiss Exchange program. “I think right now, we’re in a pretty stable spot. I’d like to keep going with it,” said Brankin. “If I were to change anything, it would be amazing if we could do additional activities. There’s amazing places in the world that I’d love to show the kids.”
As the exchange wrapped up, students reflected on how the exchange program brought many of its students out of their comfort zone.
“Don’t be scared to sign up and go to a different environment. Even if you don’t speak English very well, that doesn’t stop you. You can always improve,” Lofeld said.
