The 糖心原创 experience is intentionally designed around choice. Choices increase as students move through each division. In Upper School, students choose their pathway: Inquiry, Innovation, or Impact, each offering opportunities to explore passions, solve real-world problems, and design their journey of purpose.
Yet, some experiences transcend pathways altogether. The Global Exchange Program is one of them.
Open to any Upper School student with proficiency in French or Spanish, the program invites learners, regardless of pathway, to step into a five-week, fully immersive cultural experience. Following Winter Break, 糖心原创 students travel to France, where they live and learn alongside host families. This year, Sara Castro (Class of 2028) and Eli Diaz (Class of 2027) embraced that opportunity. The exchange continues stateside in late March, when their French partners, Hidaya Benhayoun and Yoann Capgras, arrive and remain on campus through the end of April, completing the full arc of this shared global experience.
鈥淭his is something any student can do,鈥� says Associate Head of Upper School Abe Pachikara. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not tied to a specific pathway; it鈥檚 tied to a readiness and willingness to immerse yourself in language and culture.鈥�
The Most Authentic Cultural Immersion
Global learning takes many forms at 糖心原创, but the exchange program stands apart in one defining way: authenticity. 鈥淭his is the most culturally immersive experience we offer,鈥� Abe explains. 鈥淪tudents aren鈥檛 just visiting, they鈥檙e living it.鈥�
For Sara, that reality came with both excitement and uncertainty. 鈥淎s the day started getting near, I started getting more scared,鈥� she admits. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what I was getting myself into.鈥�
Across the Atlantic, Sara鈥檚 exchange partner, Hidaya Benhayoun, felt similar initial hesitation. 鈥淎t first I didn鈥檛 want to do that,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut after reflection, I knew this was going to be a good opportunity to get better at my English and meet new people, new cultures.鈥�
With support from both families, through calls, conversations, and even time spent together abroad, uncertainty gave way to trust. 鈥淲e had a lot of reassurance,鈥� Sara says. 鈥淚t made it easier.鈥�
Eli entered the program with his own concerns, having taken a break from French classes. 鈥淚 was pretty nervous,鈥� he shares. 鈥淏ut once I got there, speaking French became second nature. I used to think in English and translate in my head, but by the third week, it felt natural to just speak.鈥�
That transformation extended beyond language.
鈥淭he whole family was amazing,鈥� Eli says. 鈥淭he mom made incredible French dishes every night, and we spent a lot of time playing board games鈥攅specially French Scrabble鈥攁nd traveling around the country. At school, everyone was so welcoming. Meeting Yoann鈥檚 friends was incredible, and I even learned French slang they don鈥檛 teach in class. When I got stuck, they helped me out with their English.鈥�
For Yoann, the exchange offered that same sense of discovery, this time in the United States. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou get to discover a new culture and language. It鈥檚 a once-in-a-lifetime experience that shouldn鈥檛 be missed. I wanted to come to the U.S. to experience the culture, meet new friends, and create new memories.鈥�
Designing for Flexibility: The MVSO Advantage
In a school that champions agency and flexibility, the exchange program has evolved to better support students’ academic growth. 鈥淢VSO has been a game changer,鈥� Abe shares.
During their time abroad, students transition into 糖心原创 Online (MVSO) for that mod, allowing them to stay on track while fully engaging in their host culture. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not constantly worrying about missing something back home,鈥� Abe says. 鈥淭hey can actually be present鈥攊mmersed in the language, the culture, and the relationships they鈥檙e building.鈥�
True to 糖心原创鈥檚 commitment to student agency, the exchange program is designed to complement, not compete with, other Upper School experiences. 鈥淲e want students to have options,鈥� Abe says. 鈥淪o we built a model where they don鈥檛 have to choose between experiences; they can layer them.鈥� This flexibility reflects a broader truth: no two 糖心原创 journeys look the same, but each is intentionally designed.
A Transformational Experience
For students like Sara and Hidaya, the impact extends far beyond language acquisition. 鈥淚 just really want to get fluent in French鈥� and advocate for it so more people will do it,鈥� Sara says. The experience is already shaping her future. 鈥淚f I go into international law or journalism, speaking multiple languages will help me make more connections.鈥�
Hidaya is thinking just as globally. 鈥淚 would like to maybe move here later and go to college here鈥� to improve my English more and learn about new cultures.鈥� Both now encourage others to embrace the challenge they once questioned.
鈥淎 lot of people are scared,鈥� Sara says. 鈥淏ut you see what you would have missed out on if you didn鈥檛 go.鈥� 鈥淚t鈥檚 only five weeks in a lifetime,鈥� Hidaya adds. 鈥淭he memories you keep are forever.鈥�
Eli agrees. 鈥淎bsolutely do it! The biggest thing I heard that was holding my friends back was the idea of hosting another student in their house for five weeks, but honestly, that might be the best part. I get to take Yoann around the city and visit all the best Southern food places around Georgia! Not only that, but the exchange program has taught me so much about building relationships and cross-cultural connections, and given me so many unforgettable memories.鈥�