My name is Max Sabogal and I recently embarked on a trip to Guadalajara, Mexico. This amazing trip took place from Friday, February 17 to Saturday, February 25. The Spanish Honor Society (SHS) was fully immersed in this unique Mexican culture. This the first SHS trip that has taken place in the middle of the school year, and it was a special one.
My host family brothers were Emilio and Mateo. Emilio is 16 and Mateo is 9. In the beginning, we were all very nervous including my host parents. They were still very welcoming from the start and they cared to all of my needs. This was the case for all of the students on this trip.
RECAP
This is an overview of my experiences in Guadalajara:
- Saturday: I woke up around 8 and ate brunch at an all you can eat restaurant. I wanted to try new foods and I ate chilaquiles, tortilla chips with salsa spread on top, eggs and Nutella filled crepes. My parents make chilaquiles at home, but the ones at the restaurant were very different. My host family and I drove 2 hours to Chapala, the biggest lake in all of Mexico, and ate a special type of ice cream there while looking at the water and the beautiful scenery. I saw cows roaming around which was very interesting. I also rode Mateo’s electric scooter around the skate park. I was very surprised that people have to pay 5 pesos to use the public restroom.
- Sunday: I went to the Barcelona FC museum and I saw all of Messi’s Ballon d’Ors and other relics from the soccer team. My host mom introduced me to a new type of sandwich. The bread was a baguette like bread, and pulled chicken with salsa on top. We also bought conchas from a local panaderia and in the evening I played Fifa 23 with my host brothers.
- Monday-Friday: I woke up around 6:30 every morning. My host dad made breakfast every morning for me and my host brothers. We had eggs a couple of days and tostada with ham. We left at 7:30 each morning and was nervous because I would be by myself. Spanish Honor Society grouped up met Manu and Ana Carmen, which were the administrators in charge of exchange students. We all figured out our classes and met all of our classmates. They were super welcoming and nice to me and spoke English when I did not understand something. As well, the group went to the nursing home and met some really nice people. I talked with a woman the whole time about her life and her story. After I talked to her, I then played rummy with a different lady. We all also toured the Guadalajara plaza with other exchange students from Canada and Ecuador. Aadhi and I met a really nice kid named David in our English class. I got his number and we have been texting each other. A kid named Santi added me to the class I was in – 3G. I helped the kids with their math. I was surprised that we had to pay for food after school in the cafeteria, which was really different than what Jesuit does. My favorite drink there was agua con limon. I had athletics every day from 5:30-7 and I had to stay at the school until it started. School started at 7:30 and ended at 2:15.
- Friday: Only half of the school went to class because there was a local fire, so I was in a different class with Nicolai. The kids were even nicer I got all of their Instagram accounts.
STUDENT THOUGHTS
Ashton Krug – I really enjoyed the tour of the Guadalajara plaza.
Aadhi Anbu – My most memorable experience would be going to the nursing home and spending time with the elderly, learning to be grateful for our blessings.
Grayson Gaither – Personally, I appreciated the immersion in a different culture that was different but also similar to our own back home. In addition, I am spending time and actually talking with my classmates and getting all there Instagrams on the last days. Finally, spending time at the nursing home and bonding with a woman named Coco and playing dominoes with her and Connor and Aadhi were definitely great experiences.
Beckett Mundorff – I enjoyed food and going to Mexican Younglife!
Anthony Manzanero – For me it was spending time with my family and learning new Spanish words and Mexican traditions I may not be used to. Also, being at a different type of Jesuit school and meeting new people. And lastly, the nursing home was an opportunity where I was able to listen to others and spend time in fellowship with those living there.
Morgan McMillen – I really enjoyed the delicious cuisines, especially Tacos Al Pastor.
John Garza – I liked the way we always were doing something with our host brothers and got to meet a lot of people!
Connor Cole – I liked getting to know the people in the nursing home and hearing about their interesting lives.
INTERVIEW WITH FACULTY MEMBERS
How did the program started?
Mrs. Bolton: Mr. Perry had the original idea for a Guadalajara trip. Then, many of the admin were also on board, including Mr. Earsing who wanted Jesuit to have a presence in Guadalajara.
Mr. Eduardo Pinto: We have been doing this program for the last 13 years here. Also, this was the first time the Spanish Honor Society (SHS) decided to have an immersion trip as part of the Pen Pal Program. This year is the second year of the Pen Pal Program, so we have decided to allow students to go to Guadalajara. In Guadalajara, they would visit and stay their host brothers.
What were some of your memorable experiences of this trip?
Mrs. Bolton: The students were all kind and respectful. Personally, I believe that they were an incredible group of young men who were very outgoing. Also, their outgoing behavior really helped them to develop tight relationships with the families in Guadalajara. There were not issues at all. Particularly, I think that these boys were very thoughtful through their interactions with people, like the ones at the nursing home.
Mr. Eduardo Pinto: When we designed this program, our objective is to ensure that students are enhancing their Spanish skills and experiencing new cultures. For this year, the students immediately connected with the Guadalajara residents. The students were using their Spanish and having fun with the people there and host brothers. Notably, the principal at the Instituto de Ciencias approached me and said that this year’s Jesuit students are an outstanding group! In addition, the principal noted how the Jesuit guys were actively involved in their activities. As a faculty member, this was great news for me because the objective of having a successful trip was achieved!
What do you think students will get the most out of this trip?
Mrs. Bolton: From this trip, most of the boys were talking about the nursing home. At the prayer service on Tuesday, the boys’ nursing home experiences definitely went the deepest with them. For instance, reflecting on Guadalajara, there are certain times when one gets nervous and concerned about how to carry out conversation. Gradually, I think that the boys realize that they are really just connecting with the elderly in the nursing home is critical to the experience. One’s smile can really make a difference in someone else’s life.
In addition, during the trip, all of the guys had an immersive Spanish experience. Recently, I remembered when Ashton Krug mentioned how much Spanish he was speaking during the trip. This must have been an intensive experience for him. In terms of what the boys will remember the most, the nursing home is definitely on the top of the list.
Mr. Eduardo Pinto: I believe that there are a couple of things that students will get out of this trip. First, students definitely improved their Spanish by going abroad on an immersion trip. Specifically, this trip consists of language immersion and service components. At Guadalajara, the Jesuit students learned alongside their host brothers and classmates of the Instituto de Ciencias. From their time there, the students were able to learn more about Mexican culture, which is a unique experience that Jesuit students do not experience all the time.
Are you planning to add something new to future trips?
Mrs. Bolton: This year’s Guadalajara trip was the first time we had a language immersion trip where the boys were in high school with their host brothers. This is something new to us. We might tweak this a little bit, but we have not discussed any specifics yet.
Mr. Eduardo Pinto: After the first trip, I am feeling that having more trips like the Guadalajara one would be great! I am thinking of maybe conducting one trip like this per semester. The beauty of this program is that students stay with their host families. This allows the students to have a deeper appreciation of the culture and see how Jesuit communities are in different parts of the world. So, I am hoping that we have more trips like this available for our students!
