Traveling to another country is a frightening thing to do, but when it comes to learning, it’s a fun adventure! FCPS has a program with La Salle School in Palencia, Spain, where a group of students from one of the schools goes to visit the other school to learn more about either Spanish or English. This year, students from La Salle School came to visit schools in Fauquier County. A few of the students that came to FHS are Claudia Rueda Gil, Pablo Meglar and Inés Alonso Acero. The students stay with host families.
This was the students’ first time coming to America, so naturally they were a bit uneasy. Rueda said, “[I] was so nervous because I don’t know my host family, but they were not bad when I arrived here.” Luckily, it’s still going well. They think there are a lot of pros and cons of living in America. Rueda says she wouldn’t live in the US because, “You have to get a car for everything… the distance between everything is way too far and I thinkthat’s a problem.” In Virginia you can get your license at 16, but in Spain you have to be 18 years old. Being so far away from home can be a scary thing for a teenager, but also for the parents.
Rueda commented, “I think they are super nervous because last year the girl who came to our house was fantastic and everything went well, but this year could be completely different for me.” So far, Rudea is having a very entertaining trip!
Meglar and Alonso state that their experience so far in America is good, saying, “I think the first impression is very good but it’s very different from being in Spain… the school culture and the use of cars, having to drive everywhere [in America] and in Spain you usually walk.” Living in the countryside can be difficult in the US without having a car which sadly some people have to do. \
America’s reputation in Spain is very unique because of the way it is portrayed in a lot of movies and shows. Meglar and Alonso state, “Like highschool musicals or like the movies and series that we saw… we thought that everyone
was gonna [breakout] into singing or dancing.” It’s common for people to picture countries as how they are portrayed in movies or tv shows.
Fashion is a very important thing all around the world but very different depending where you are. Meglar and Alonso laugh while saying, “In school here you can see people with their pajamas or in their crocs while in Spain we go for a more formal look but I think its different for everyone… our school has elementary through high school so for the elementary students it’s obligatory to wear a uniform but for [above] it’s not.”
But no matter how different people dress, it doesn’t determine who they are as a person. Meglar and Alonso are off to discover more of America! The students are set to stay in Virginia for a couple more weeks. They also have to complete a presentation to showcase to the Spanish classes, so not only are they learning on this trip, but are also teaching others.
