Exchange students from Spain visit SDA

“I was excited to come here, to an American school, because I thought it was like in the movies. It’s not like that so far, but I like it here very much,” said Maria Pernia, an 11th grade exchange student.  

You may have seen some of the exchange students walking around campus. These students are from Bilbao, Spain, and are taking part in an exchange program with Spanish students from SDA.

“There are 24 students visiting SDA, and there is one student visiting Westfield. They are from a school in the Basque region of Spain, from [a school] called Maristas,” said Sheryl Bode, a Spanish teacher who is helping coordinate the program.

The students arrived her last week, and are staying here for a total of three weeks.

“I like [the exchange program] because it is something new. I like meeting new people,” said Haizea Inglesias, an 11th grade exchange student who is participating in the program.

“I like how [this school] works. It is very different from Spain. Each teacher has his own class. In Spain the teacher moves to our class, and here, we move to the teacher’s class. It’s very different and I like that. I think I will learn a lot in the two weeks that are left,” said Pernia.

Spanish students that are currently hosting exchange students also have the opportunity to stay with their exchange students in Bilbao this summer. “June 20th, our kids are going stay with the students that stayed with them; they go stay with their families for three weeks in Bilbao,” said Bode.