Although it has only been a tradition for six years, the foreign exchange program has become well-known among Jesuit students. This year’s program concluded this past Monday, April 21.
Every year, six Mexican students, ranging from ages 15-18 come and stay with six Jesuit host families for five weeks. Mr. Rich Perry, co-chair of the community service and social justice program, explained that the goal of the exchange students coming is “not language, but the overarching goal is immersion.” Immersion is being involved in another culture so that we can better understand that culture.
Mr. Perry added that another goal is to “help us in practicing the greatest Christian virtue, which is hospitality.” The Jesuit students have certainly shown great hospitality to the exchange students, and this year was one of the better years of the program.
Sophomore Nick Mersch, a Spanish II student who hosted a foreign exchange student, was one of the six student’s whose family greatly benefited from hosting a student. “I was surprised at how much English he knew,” said Mersch, “and that made it a lot easier for us to communicate and for me to know him better.”
Although the students come here for five weeks, Jesuit students stopped travelling to Mexico because of a travel safety warning by the US government four years ago. That is changing, however, as the warning was lifted six months ago and Jesuit students will begin travelling to Mexico again.
This year was not just a successful year for the students, but for Mr. Perry as well. He said that he would give this year’s turn out “an eleven [out of ten], this was a perfect year because of the positive engaging attitude of the Jesuit students and Mexican students.”
In the future, Spanish might not be the only language that offers this program. Mr. Anthony Mattachione, the other CSSJ co-chair, is joining with two French teachers, Mrs. Richard and Mrs. Stewart, about the possibility of adding a French program in Canada or even Belgium.
With Jesuit adding a new language, there could be a possibility of adding a foreign exchange program with Mandarin, as Jesuit is starting a Mandarin course next year. Keep an eye on the Language Department as it continues to make changes and improvements.
