Seniors Study Abroad

The Academy hosts a variety of term-abroad programs during the fall, winter and spring terms, as well as several that last the entire school year. These include school years abroad in China, France, Italy and Spain, as well as one-term programs at the Mountain School, in France, Ghana, Japan, Russia, England, Taiwan, Germany, the Bahamas, Ecuador and Ireland.

While taking a term abroad forces students to become more conscientious about their course loads in order to fulfill diploma requirements, many terms abroad still offer a wide variety of courses to choose from that work toward the diploma requirement. For most fall and winter programs, however, an English elective in the spring is required.

Senior Dylan Farrell went abroad to Ecuador during the winter and enjoyed the day trips to the Galapagos Islands, Gualaceo and Cajas national park. “Going abroad to Ecuador was hands down the best part of my Exeter experience,” Farrell said. “It was an opportunity to forge friendships with Exonians I otherwise wouldn’t be friends with (one of whom is now my prom date), and the Ecuadorians we met welcomed us right in to their school.”

An essential part of any trip abroad is finding enthusiastic families to host the students in order to truly assimilate them to the foreign cultures and traditions. “I had a particularly wonderful host family who served good food in the house, lived close to the center of town, and took me during ‘Carnaval’ on a trip to Quito,” Farrell continued. “My favorite experience on the trip was going to a professional soccer game and afterwards the ‘discoteca,’ but I wish the school had been more challenging.”

Senior Olamide Ogunbambo went to Ghana this past fall, where she was enrolled in a co-ed boarding school near the coastal city of Tema. “It rocked,” Ogunbambo said when asked to describe the trip. “It was great going to school with other really smart really driven kids from all over the continent. I can't even pinpoint the best experience...we saw beautiful beaches, Kakum national park was amazing, and we even had an impromptu Halloween party with some girls at the school!”

Ogunbambo also met a unique variety of friends from all over Africa. “We made some great friends and Katharine Callahan is actually going to college next year with our roommate who is from Burundi! So now we have friends all over Ghana and Africa, and it’s amazing. I also personally met the former president of Ghana, which was really cool.”

Senior Allie Garceau also attended the winter program in Ecuador. She enjoyed the program and, like most students, valued the chance to explore a new country. “I went to Ecuador over winter term and I had an amazing time,” Garceau said. “The best part about it was definitely traveling around the country on weekends and experiencing the culture of Ecuador. We hiked a lot through the Andes which was incredible. We also had the chance to visit a lot of indigenous villages which was really neat because I didn't realize how many people still foster such a simple way of life.”

Perhaps the most inspiring part of the trip for Garceau were the insights into the simplicity of the daily life of many of the people from the small towns in Ecuador. “I personally loved the genuine happiness that the majority of the Ecuadorians expressed. Most of the people in the country don't have nearly as many luxuries as people in the US, but I was surprised to see that in many situations they appeared happier and more relaxed than people in the US,” Garceau said. “It was an eye-opening experience and I would highly recommend it to upcoming uppers. It's a great break from the rigorous Exeter schedule.”

Senior Emily Moore went abroad to Germany this year, where she immersed herself in German culture. She stayed with a host family and attended the Theodor Heuss Gymnasium. “I'm so glad I went,” Moore said. “The timing we were there was a little awkward and I wish it could have been longer. I don't think the school would like it very much If I told you about my best experience, and they'd hate it even more if I told you about my worst. I would definitely recommend going abroad.”