Tired, nervous, and still adjusting to their surroundings after only 36 hours in the United States, 8 French exchange students settled into their new environment, Jesuit College Prep.
This was just the beginning of the two weeks of the “American way of life” that these high-schoolers would experience at Jesuit, going to classes, doing community service, and socializing during the weekend.
The 8 students, who arrived in Dallas on Saturday, April 21, were each assigned to a host family that would take care of them for the two weeks they would be there. The students’ names and their host students are as follows: Hector Bonte (John Venden ’14), Adrien Duval (Rodrigo Ricaud ’14), Auguste Bigo (Chris Lanyon ’14), Alexandre Verquin (Michael Valletti ’13), Martin Verstraete (Michael Brandao ’13), Theo van Cauwenberghe (Ryan ’13 and Kyle ’15 Adams), Aymeric Delesalle (Robert Delcambre ’13), and Louis Duriez (Alexander Erturkuner ’15).
Being in the United States for the first time, Louis Duriez remarked, “Everythings bigger [in America].”
Martin Verstraete seconded that motion, exclaiming, “Everything is so big, it’s impressive.”
One thing that these students were especially interested in was American food. “I had toast and also a hamburger,” noted Aymeric Delesalle, adding, “I had pizza [too], and it was good.”
To get more accustomed to the “American way of life,” as Martin Verstraete described it, the French students attended a Frisco RoughRiders game on Friday, April 27 and discovered America’s pastime. Along with students, parents, and the school administration, the French students, according to French teacher Madame Julie Richard, “had a great time.”
While they did enjoy the local cuisine and sports, the French students all agreed that the goal of their trip was to improve their English-speaking skills. To facilitate this, each student went to classes with their host student and even did a community service project to enhance not only their linguistics but also to introduce them to Jesuit values.
On Wednesday, April 25 the eight French students, their host students, Madame Richard, Mr. Ian Berry, and Mr. Richard Perry participated in a service project for Literacy Instruction For Texas (LIFT), organizing and moving supplies and equipment for the staff.
“There was a Jesuit alumnus who had just started working there, Julian Mensah ’03,” Madame Richard explained. “LIFT wanted to start a relationship with us for Community Service Days in the fall, so Mr. Perry decided to start that relationship.”
On the French students’ last school day at Jesuit, Madame Richard observed, “Their English has gotten better. They were very shy in the beginning and now at the end they are starting to make jokes in English.”
Martin, reflecting on his time spent at Jesuit, stated, “Our classes [in France] and your classes [are different], and what you are learning is very different.” He also mentioned, “I learned to speak English better.”
On the morning of Saturday, May 5, the 8 French students said their goodbyes to their host families and boarded a plane back to France, where they would then attend their own school classes the following Monday.
According to Martin, the first thing he would tell his friends when he returned to France would be “[Dallas] is a huge city and very different.”
The foreign exchange program is another sign of Jesuit staying true to its mission statement, specifically, raising “a diverse but cohesive community that builds solidarity with others and that transcends race, culture, or religion.”
