On March 21st, 2024, students in the exchange program boarded on a flight to Spain. .
Students who signed up for this trip agreed to host a Spanish exchange student in the Fall for 8-9 days. In exchange, the Leyden students were hosted by those same students and their families in Spain during Spring Break. Mr. Michael Aldworth is the sponsor of this club/program at Leyden. While on this trip, students got to experience Spain’s rich culture, captivating tourist attractions, and one on one experience with the Spanish Language
One student in particular really enjoyed the architecture of Spain. Alexander Avila Napoles is a sophomore student at West Leyden, and he is also one of the handful of students who got the opportunity to travel abroad. He enjoyed walking through the streets of Barcelona, and he had a great time studying Spanish architecture. He especially enjoyed and appreciated Antoni Gaudí’s work in La Sagrada Familia cathedral, located in Barcelona. Alex explains the meaning of the architecture in La Sagrada Familia, he says that, “Each part of the cathedral is based on an area of Jesus’ life, and it is shown with the use of symbols and depictions made of stone, glass, marble, and many more cool materials.” He speaks about architecture with a gleam in his eyes, and enthusiasm in his voice. In regards to next year’s trip he says, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to go back to Spain for the next trip, but I would love to go back if it’s possible.” Hopefully the future has good things in store for Alex.
Another student who really enjoyed Barcelona was Joshua Chavez. He enjoyed the walkable city, and looking at the beautiful architecture of barcelona. Joshua Chavez walked the streets of Barcelona, snapping pictures of beautiful sites, along with his friend, Alex. Joshua also enjoyed Spanish cuisine, and he says “The food we ate in Spain was actually pretty good.. The rice, I think it was called paella, had seafood in it, and we had a variety of other seafood dishes native to Spain.” Joshua says that he is grateful and proud of the memories he made in Spain, and he hopes to return one day.
A student who wishes she’d had the chance to experience Spanish culture on the trip to Spain is a sophomore student at West Leyden, Olivia Nass. Olivia talks about the amazing opportunity it is for Leyden students to be able to travel abroad through a school program. She says “ It is not something that every school is able to incorporate into their curriculum, or even as a club.” She also says that “students who got the chance to go are lucky because they probably got to go with friends, and make lifetime memories there.” Surely, she will be able to go next time around.
So if you have the chance to visit Spain, take these students’ advice, and inform yourself on the schools’ exchange program. It’s not an opportunity that most people get in their life, and the fact that the school is handing out this opportunity to its students shows its generosity and care for its community. Everybody should have the chance to experience the wonders of the world at some point in their lives. The earlier people get the chance, the better it will be because they will be able to share their experiences of the world. Spain is a great place to start your exploration, so take advantage of this opportunity.
