AFS welcomed exchange students Claudia Balmforth, Riley Curtain, Ella Jensen, and Zoe Walker to AFS on January 22, where they began taking classes with our Upper School students. They’ll be part of the community through February 8. The program was created under the AFS Center for Experiential Learning as one of its global travel initiatives.
The students, who are all rising sophomores, attend the Friends’ School in Hobart, Tasmania, which is on break for summer vacation. The students will actually arrive back in Hobart after their classes have been underway for a few days. They previously were hosts to our own Nick Cideciyan, Charly Avril, Anna Sperger and Isabella Aguilar last year, and now those students are hosting them for their first visits to the Unites States. AFS alum Nelson File ’78 is head of the Friends School in Hobart, which enrolls 1,330 students.
After 32 hours of travel, the Tasmanian students arrived in the U.S. on Friday, January 18. They’ve done a variety of activities since arriving in Philadelphia, including trips to Reading Terminal Market, Magic Gardens and Plymouth Meeting shopping mall. They also went to New York City and saw the Empire State building, a broadway show and went ice skating in Bryant Park.
When asked what misconceptions Americans might have about their country, they students chimed in to say people “think we live in the desert” and that they “ride kangaroos to school.” Their AFS hosts chimed in to say that they did see a lot of wallabies while in Hobart! On the other hand, our Hobart friends find the toilets in the United States odd in many ways — the shape, the depth of the water, and the fact that some of them flush themselves!
In reflecting on the differences between the Friends School, Hobart and AFS, Ella said, “At home our school has uniforms, which I have mixed opinions about. I like being able to choose what I wear and being warmer in what I wear, but I also like the routine of putting on the same thing without having to think of it. I’m shocked by all the school swag you guys have — hoodies and shirts and socks.” Anna spoke up to say that while in Tasmania she didn’t think the uniforms at Friends School, Hobart were the most comfortable, while Nick found the uniform pretty stylish, but didn’t enjoy having to wear dress shoes every day.
Over the course of three weeks of classes, the students attended MLK Day of Service, witnessed their first snowfall, and took a field trip to The Barnes, where they had the whole museum to themselves. Rosanne Mistretta, Director of the Center for Experiential Learning, said they “thought it was amazing that such a place exists in Philadelphia.” Two of the students also went on the MedEx field trip to Mütter Museum. Rosanne also reported that all four students signed up for drawing, which is something that they don’t have the opportunity to take in Hobart, and they love it and are learning a great deal from Upper School art teacher Amy Diaz-Newman.
As the Hobart students depart, we wish them safe travels and hope they’ve enjoyed their time at AFS. We have certainly enjoyed having you, friends!