Another successful visit from the students of Instituto Thomas Jefferson – Queretaro came and went with a lot of fun, activity, learning and bonding in between! For the fourth time since IPA and ITJ created this international cultural exchange program together, IPA families hosted 10 students and one adult chaperone from our sister school in Queretaro, Mexico. The Mexican students were given room and board, transportation to and from school and a variety of family experiences with their hosts to compare to their own.
The cultural exchange began with a potluck party at the Seymour’s (Aiden ’20, Ethan ‘23) where the students and host families shared food and got to know each other. Then, after a “family day” during which the students and host families spent time together, the week was spent travelling around the island visiting cultural, agricultural, historical and scenic attractions such as Waimea Falls, Dole Plantation, Tropical Farms, Polynesian Cultural Center, Iolani Palace and Pearl Harbor. There was also plenty of time for shopping, eating and the beach!
The students came away from the experience learning about both their differences and their similarities. Natalia Anseeuw (’21) whose family hosted two students was glad “because it was an opportunity to make new friends.” She noted that sometimes getting along was a challenge because “cultures can sometimes clash but it just needs a bit of ‘talking it out,’” she shared. A difference she noticed between her lifestyle and that of her guest students was that “they seemed to eat larger meals and didn’t snack too much.” Jaden Jones (’20) added that his guest student, Horacio, rarely goes to the beach because he lives so far away from the coast so he was not used to getting to go the beach so frequently during his visit here. Anjolie Anno (’20) was initially concerned about whether she would get along with the other students. “Since I am an only child it was hard for me to start sharing my things with the student,” she explained. As it turned out, Anjolie and her guest student had something in common. “We were both only children and we were both willing to learn about each other’s country and culture.”
This year’s visit ended with some last minute shopping, one last trip to the beach and a farewell dance at IPA. Jones summed up his experience, “The only real challenge of hosting a Mexican student was that we had to say bye to him after the week he was here. I just hope he enjoyed his stay as much as we did!”
ITJ students meet with Senator Mike Gabbard.
IPA and ITJ students tour I’olani Palace