In the past few weeks, you might have noticed some new faces on campus, walking up and down the Path, congregating in the Dining Hall, or chilling out in the Quad. These exchange students from Ecuador and Germany have joined our community, tagging along with their host students, through the Global Exchange Program.
This program links Albuquerque Academy with its sister schools in Japan, Germany, France, and Ecuador. This fall, three students from Unidad Educativa Atenas in Ambato, Ecuador and nine from the Musterschule Gymnasium in Frankfurt, Germany, visited us between September 22 and October 11. Living with Academy students, they got to experience our school life as well as see our beautiful state by going on short field trips such as to Pecos National Monument.
Over Spring Break, Academy students will get to visit these sister schools and similarly integrate themselves into these foreign communities.
I spoke with a few of these exchange students to see how they felt about life at AA.
At Cross Country practice, I met Clara, who is a runner in Germany. She wanted to join the Cross Country team for a few practices here at school. She noted how, as we have daily practices, “you get pushed more here.”
On the topic of general culture, she felt that in the U.S., who you socialize with depends more on shared interests and activities than in Germany. “People here get in touch really easily because everyone is open and friendly,” she said. She was excited to have gotten to go up on the tram and see the Sandias. She told me about her experience of American culture, for example, by getting to enjoy some of our local fast food at Raising Cane’s.
Similarly, other German exchange students were quick to point out the differences between food culture here and in Germany. On the topic of what they would do when they got back home, Amelie told me, exasperated, “I’m actually glad that I will have my healthy stuff again because I feel like I’ve just eaten fast food here, and so many soda drinks.” The exchange students were also surprised about how much waste Americans generated, with Amelie noting, “You use plastic forks and plates…you just throw everything. That wouldn’t happen in Germany.”
Amelie was also puzzled as to why her host student got so many paper college advertisements that felt uncalled for, calling it unsustainable. In Germany, there is a lot less stress on students as to what qualifications they need to get into college. Another thing that they were surprised about was our reliance on cars (as opposed to public transportation) and how many people wear shoes inside their houses.
They noted differences in the education systems here and in Germany. Here, students seemed to work more independently in class, while back home, “everyone tries to raise their hand a bit more,” said Isabelle. In Germany, education is more rigid, with the government controlling what is taught in schools. Matea remarked, “I also feel like the classes here are a lot more creative when it comes to how they are designed in general” and noticed how people can choose to participate in subjects they want more actively.
The Ecuadorian students felt that the exchange trip improved their English. “I’m really glad I came,” stated Javier, saying he had a lot of conversation with his host brother. The Ecuadorian students had mixed opinions on green chile as they do not really have much spice in Ecuadorian food. “I’m not too much into spicy food,” said Javier.
They felt that, compared to their school, people were more focused during class time. However, Camila missed having the greater number of classes she had at home, saying that the schedule with fewer classes that we have here brought her boredom. Javier also noticed how different the “flat” dryness of New Mexico was compared to the hilly greenery he is used to back home.
Despite all of these cultural differences, the exchange students had a lot of fun here, talking about visiting Meow Wolf, going to the movies, spending time outdoors, and a lot more! “My host family is great. I really, really love her…I will miss them,” said Amelie. We will miss them as well. We are sad to see the exchange students go, but we wish them a safe trip back home. Until we meet again!
Academy students interested in learning more about the exchange program should contact Ms. Baca at [email protected].
