Photo courtesy of Brian Chandler
Students at Upper Arlington High School have been participating in an exchange program with a secondary school in Scotland for nearly 20 years.
Madras College in St. Andrews, Scotland — sister city to Upper Arlington — partners with UAHS to give students a chance to explore beyond their own cultures and make connections that, for some, last a lifetime.
Come early October, about 17 Madras College students come to stay in Upper Arlington for 10 to 14 days with their respective partners and their families. The UAHS students will then travel to St. Andrews in March and get the chance to meet and live with the families of their Scottish counterparts.
Living with a family from another culture is a great way to immerse oneself in the culture. Brian Chandler, UA high school math teacher and Student Exchange Club advisor, says the students form strong personal bonds with their partners and partners’ families every year.
To give the students a better idea of American culture, the UA host families usually organize mock events. In past years, hosts have even convinced other families in their neighborhoods to hold a mock trick-or-treat night.
Photo courtesy of Brian Chandler
Similarly, the host families usually get together and celebrate Thanksgiving a month early, so the Scottish students have another taste of American tradition. Not only do they get a general idea of American holidays, they also get to experience the personal traditions of the host families.
“It was incredible to see just how similar we all are despite growing up differently,” says Julia Boyer, UAHS grad and past program participant. “I’ve made lifelong friends across the globe that I hope to visit soon.”
St. Andrews is home to the University of St. Andrews, the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest university in the English-speaking world. One similarity UAHS likes to highlight is the university town atmosphere.
The students take tours of The Ohio State University campus, including a tour of the Ohio Union and Ohio Stadium. If there happens to be a home game at Ohio Stadium while the Scottish students are visiting, UAHS sends the students to watch the Buckeyes play and stock up on OSU gear. The national rugby stadium Murrayfield in Edinburgh holds 67,000, so to see a university stadium that holds more than 100,000 is impressive.
“The OSU game was one of my favorite things we did with the Scots,” says Boyer. “They were blown away by the size of the stadium and how everyone was dressed in scarlet and gray.”
Photo courtesy of Julia Boyer
When they aren’t exploring OSU, the Scottish students spend a couple of days in class with their UAHS counterparts. They mostly just observe what is happening in class, since they aren’t in town long enough to be truly invested in the curriculum. Instead, the students are typically more enthralled with the social culture of an American high school.
“They think that our high school is going to be just like High School Musical,” says Chandler.
In addition to attending class at UAHS and visiting OSU, the exchange students generally visit the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for a day. Since Scotland does boast some stunning views, the group usually goes on a trip to see some of the views that Ohio has to offer.
“We almost always take them hiking in Yellow Springs and Hocking Hills,” says Chandler. “Since Scotland is known for its scenery, we want to show them some of the beautiful scenic views in Ohio.”
Though it used to be that the students spent their time in Upper Arlington getting to know one another for the first time, the students now spend months talking via group messages and social media before the Scottish students ever arrive in Ohio.
This gives the students the ability to establish trust and familiarity with one another, which in turn can make their time in their respective home countries more impactful. It also allows students to form stronger personal bonds with one another, bonds that often last long after the program ends.
“Many students remain in contact with their partners over the years,” says Chandler. “I get notes from students saying they have gone back to Scotland to visit their partners and travel throughout Europe with them.”
Some of the UA host families have even traveled to meet the families of the students they hosted.
Photo courtesy of Julia Boyer
“Recently, a pair of students traveled to Scotland to visit their partners, and then their mothers met them there to meet with and stay with the families as well,” says Chandler.
Over the years, the program has inspired students to seek out educational opportunities in the U.S. and Scotland. Several UA students have gone on to attend St. Andrews University, Chandler says, while some Scottish students have traveled back the U.S. to attend college. For one pair of exchange students the program led to a lifelong relationship.
“A girl from UA and a boy from St. Andrews that met through one of the first exchanges are now married and living in Edinburgh, Scotland,” says Chandler.
Jenny Wise is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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