By Victoria Mairal-Cruz, ’12, Contributor
Mexican exchange students from the school Escuela Anexa de Atlacomulco in Atlacomulco, Mexico, visited Cincinnati and CCDS from April 26 to May 10 for the fourteenth year of the exchange program. Students throughout our school had the opportunity to mix with another culture, in addition to helping the exchange students practice their English.
Mick Abrahamson, ‘11, whose family hosted Alex Castillo, said, “It was a great experience… [Alex] exposed my whole family to his culture, for instance, clothing and the food his family eats in Mexico. Plus, it helped my family (especially me) improve our Spanish.”
During an assembly on April 30, the exchange students performed beautiful dances of their native culture for the Middle School. Their costumes were eye-popping, with bright colors and vibrant prints. Before their departure, the Middle School continued the tradition of having a dance during the foreign students’ stay. In addition to staying with Cincinnati families, the students had the opportunity to sight-see around the city. Touristy activities included visiting local attractions like the Newport Aquarium, the Cincinnati Zoo, and the Kenwood Towne Center, where they did a good deal of shopping.
Alex Castillo, who stayed with the Abrahamson’s, said, “I didn’t miss my Mexican home… the trip [was] the best experience…[I’m going to] remember all the moments with my American friends and of course my family.”
Brandon Morales Hernandez, who stayed with the family of Alex Brady, ’13, said his favorite events in Cincinnati were “undoubtedly Kings Island and [the Middle School] dance.”
Thavatta Acevedo, another exchange student, said she enjoyed visiting “the zoo because [she] met new people and had a lot of fun.”
Andrea Escoba, who stayed with the family of Casey Pfister’s, ’14, said being away from her home for two weeks was “a new experience for me. I learned a lot of good things, it was good in my opinion… I have to say that the first week was a little difficult for me to understand exactly what …people wanted to say to me but [the experience] was great.”
Escoba also said that Mexico and the U.S. are very different, because in Mexico there are “about 58 students in a classroom and almost all the schools use a uniform [and in the U.S] the food tastes different. (You don’t use chili peppers).”
Samuel Alejandro Enriquez, a teacher at Escuela Anexa de Atlacomulco, chaperoned the trip, along with the school’s psychologist, Blanca E. Segundo Vazquez. Enriquez said this trip “gave [me many] unforgettable experiences because I had the chance to meet more people, make friends, and be part of a group.” Enriquez also said this was his third time visiting Cincinnati; he came as a student in 2000, and two years ago he stayed with the family of Maya Borrero-Smith,’16, who also hosted him this year. “They are a great family,” Mr. Enriquez said.
Mr. Enriquez also wanted to thank Middle School Spanish teacher Elvira Carillo, Middle School Head John Polasko, and Head of School Doctor Robert Macrae for making the program possible. “This exchange is the best experience that I’ve had because it gave me many opportunities to [experience] a different culture, language, and traditions. I’m very thankful to be part of this excellent program,” he said
Of the experience, Upper School Science Teacher Francisco Borrero said, “I liked very much helping the program because I really, really think the program is great. I like the idea of my daughter… having [the] opportunity to get exposed to the culture… to practice Spanish, [and] to live with Hispanic people.” However, Mr. Borrero said, he’d love it “even if they were from Hungary.” It’s getting to experience different cultures that counts. Mr. Borrero also said that Mr. Enriquez and Ms. Vazquez were both “very nice… one night towards the end, we had a Mexican diner party and they cooked. My daughter got strep throat and Blanca stayed home that day… that was very nice.”
Schools in Mexico are noticeably different from CCDS. Castillo said, “in middle school…we are 56 students with just 1 teacher, we don’t have a pool…we have three classrooms and the teachers have to change, not [the] students.” This is very different from the Upper School’s rotating schedule, and teachers’ tendencies to have classrooms where they teach most of their classes.
The Upper School is considering setting up its own exchange program with an additional foreign country, not necessarily Mexico, and would appreciate any ideas. If you’re interested, talk to Madame Hecker, head of the U.S. Foreign Language Department.
Photo courtesy of CCDS
