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feature F or more information about the Network of Complementary Schools Exchange Program, go to www.calhoun.org/ncse.
A week in the suburbs of Rochester, NY, was a way for Kyler MurriaCastro ‘16 (left) to step outside of her comfort zone.
she got exactly that. Kyler took the big yellow bus to school and followed a traditional schedule, with a period system and classes that occurred daily. The rising junior was also able to experience some of the local culture, and traveled with her host family to Niagara Falls, which was in a partially frozen state, as well as to Buffalo for a taste of its famous chicken wings. Says Kyler, “One thing I took home was the value in taking advantage of what’s made available to me. The girl I stayed with was very involved in everything she could get her hands on, both at and out of school. I was very impressed, because it’s harder for her to do all those things when you consider that Rochester is a smaller community. The possibilities for me here are endless, and she really opened my eyes to this.”
Maryam Chishti ’16 (center) and her sister (right) enjoyed hosting and showing off New York City sites to Michaela Lindsey (left), an exchange student from Massachusetts. The Calhoun Chronicle
Bottle-feeding calves was just one of the many new experiences Leah Rice ‘15 enjoyed while in Kansas.
“Our domestic exchange program allows students to take advantage of learning opportunities in schools and communities that are far different from Calhoun.”
— Lavern McDonald, US Associate Director
While Kyler’s experience no doubt differed from her life at Calhoun, Leah Saberski’s exchange trip to an agricultural community in Kansas provided a week that simply cannot be replicated in New York City. And that’s exactly what she had hoped for when she selected her destination. Leah helped feed lambs at a sheep farm, visited a dairy and a grain elevator, and attended a cattle sell—complete with an auctioneer and more than 700 cows up for purchase. “I got to hear, see and smell so many new things,” says Leah. “I think that adapting to my new surroundings came easily because I made sure not to expect anything. I wanted to keep an open mind and really embrace the experience with no prior assumptions.” Maryam said she hosted one of the exchange students because of a life-changing experience she had last summer, living with a family in Uruguay. Although that summer visit wasn’t under the network umbrella, she felt it necessary to pay it forward: “I think that sometimes we forget how lucky we are to live in New York City, and how amazing it can be to people who don’t live the city life,” notes Maryam. “I loved playing tour guide and having the opportunity to show Calhoun off.”