By Delaney Gradwell
This school year, SEM has hosted exchange students from Germany, Lithuania, Australia, and France who live in the residential houses or with host families for any time between a couple weeks and an entire school year. Some have wanted to be an exchange student since they were young, and others discovered this dream somewhat recently. Their various exchange programs have allowed them to meet people from all over the world, have new experiences, gain new insights, and step out of their comfort zones.
SEM has established its own exchange program throughout the years. Annually, students from St. Catherine’s School in Melbourne come to Buffalo to live with SEM sophomores, who will travel to Australia to live with their exchange students; and every few years a similar exchange takes place between students from SEM and Institution Saint-Dominique in France. Additionally, schools in the Buffalo area receive many students from Dortmund, Germany—Buffalo’s sister city.
However, that’s not the only way to become an exchange student. “In Germany, there are fairs where various exchange organizations showcase their programs and try to convince you to do your exchange year with them,” says Lena Goethe, a junior at SEM. One such program is called ASSIST, and it allowed quite a few of SEM’s exchange students, including Lena, to find themselves at SEM. Since their arrival, they have actively participated in SEM life by playing sports, taking part in the play, and whole-heartedly celebrating Hornet Jacket Day—which seems to win the prize for most beloved tradition among the exchange students. “I had no clue what was gonna happen, but everyone was just happy, and it was such a crazy day,” says Laura Meinke, one of the exchange students from Dortmund, who loves SEM so much that she extended her exchange from a few months to the entirety of the school year.
The exchange students who stay at SEM begin their day by waking up around 7:00 and making their way to the atrium, where they eat breakfast. Afterwards, they might text their friends and family from home before starting classes. Once the school day ends, they go to sports or play practices, and call their family or friends again. Then, they return to SEM and eat dinner to refuel after their busy day. 7:30 marks the beginning of Study Hours, a period of time allotted to exchange and residential students for working on homework. After Study Hours end, they have time to relax alone or with the other students in their dorm before going to sleep.
Even though it’s hard to leave home and go to a completely different country, this year’s exchange students have really enjoyed the SEM experience—and the experience of being an exchange student in general. “No where in Lithuania I would have learned 40 Shakespeare plays, made slime or eaten lollipops in a classroom,” says Rasa Vaicikonyte. She also mentioned how important it was to find a good support system at SEM, saying that at first the language barrier made homework difficult, but the encouragement from teachers and friends helped her adjust.
One of the biggest takeaways that the exchange students gained was the importance of being open—to people, to new cultures, to opportunities. As put by Lena, “Don‘t hide in your comfort zone and try to meet new people. Everyone is really nice. Sometimes you just have to make the first step.”