After a break due to COVID-19, the Spanish Exchange Program at SHS is back up and running. First started in 1985 by Scituate Spanish teacher Emilie Green and Carmen Urquiza from Getxo, Spain, the exchange program has been active for 38 years.
This year, from September 11th through the 24th, twenty-three students from Julio Caro Baroja High School in Getxo, Spain, enjoyed fun-filled days with their SHS host families. Students also participated in various field trips to locations including Fenway Park, Plimoth Patuxet, and the Newport Mansions in Rhode Island.
SPS World Language Department Chair Kathryn Ciulla is the primary faculty member responsible for this year’s exchange. She has been involved in the program as a teacher ever since she started working at SHS in 2007. During the 2002-03 academic year, Ciulla participated in the exchange as a Scituate High School senior.
Reflecting on her favorite part of the exchange, Ciulla described the anticipation, excitement, and nervousness among SHS students before the arrival of the Spanish students. She loves watching the bus pull up, with all the students joyfully screaming and greeting one another. Emotions run high when students say goodbye at the end of the trip, proving the program is a life-changing experience–especially when lifelong friendships are formed.
When discussing the trip to Spain, Ciulla said, “The benefits are endless.” Connecting with people from different cultures is critical to building empathy; according to Ciulla, exchange programs help students grow into open-minded people who are lifelong learners.
Participating in this year’s exchange, SHS junior Nora Gosnell hosted Mario Eremia. Gosnell said she thoroughly enjoyed spending time with someone who had never experienced American culture. Gosnell also commented on the benefits of increasing her speaking skills and overall understanding of the Spanish language. She is excited to experience the Spanish culture in April when Scituate students travel to Spain. While hosting, Gosnell learned about how schools in Spain differ from those in the United States. According to Gosnell, the Spanish students noticed that classes in Scituate were more interactive and less strict. Spanish students were also surprised to see how friendly American teachers are with their students.
Leonora Alonso, a student from Spain, described her experience as being “like a movie.” She enjoyed doing different activities within the group when she was able to experience how American high schoolers spend their free time. Her favorite foods were snacks, especially Cheez-Its. Alonso said she will miss everything about America and cannot wait to return.
In April 2024, twenty-three SHS students will travel to Spain for two weeks. The group will be led by retired Scituate Spanish teacher Virginia Lima, who started leading groups in 1987 and continued the homestay exchange until her retirement in 2020. Lima said the Spanish exchange program has been a “huge win” for Scituate students.
Although she is enjoying her retirement, Lima looks forward to leading this year’s exchange trip: “I get to see the students’ excitement at being in Spain and the Basque Country in a completely new and very different culture.” Lima added, “Listening to them use their high school Spanish is also a thrill for me. I know how much Spanish they’ll learn along with all the inevitable mistakes they’ll make. That’s how you learn. It’s just the beginning of a lifetime of being bilingual and of world wide travel. I hope they enjoy every minute!”
In addition to spending time with their host families in Getxo, Spain, Scituate students will travel to Madrid and Southern France. Several students said they could not wait to be reunited with their exchange partners.