Unexpected Experiences Leave Lasting Impressions

During spring break in March, Upper School students and faculty traveled abroad — a group of seniors to Vietnam and a group of juniors and seniors to France.

Students in John Wood’s Vietnam and the Vietnam War history class embarked on an eye-opening journey through Vietnam’s vibrant past and cultural tapestry, which included stops in Hanoi, Quang Tri, Hue, and the Mekong Delta. The French students visited Paris, Lodève, and Montpellier, France, and also participated in the French exchange program, staying with host families and attending classes at partner school Lycée Joseph Vallot. —Nina Sinnott

LASTING IMPRESSIONS OF VIETNAM

The McDonogh cohort spends the morning playing with students at Children’s Hope In Action, a school for developmentally disabled children in Hoi An.

The McDonogh travelers, including chaperones John Wood and Jen Pineau, sample fresh-pressed sugarcane juice made next to their table in Hanoi.

Seniors learn about the many ethnic groups that have lived in Vietnam at the Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi. From left: first row (front to back): Ria Sood, Elliet Walton, and Zarina Hamilton; second row (front to back: Kare Coley, TJ Marshall, Cate Arbaugh, and Alexander North; third row (front to back): Carly Green, Sophia Wang, and Mason Miller; fourth row (front to back): Camryn Sciubba, Max Mislow, and Javi Rodriquez.

• “As I crawled through a stretch of the underground Cu Chi tunnels, I was amazed by the ingenuity of the Vietnamese people and the resilience they had during the war. There, below the surface of the Earth, were classrooms, meeting spaces, bathrooms, wells, and miles of tunnels. We would go into a tunnel in the middle of a forest and emerge by a beach. It was a unique experience.” – Javi Rodriguez ’24

• “ While traveling around Vietnam, I learned that diplomacy starts with us. I believe it starts with desiring peace and seeing the humanity of all people. It’s looking at your enemy, or someone who doesn’t speak the same language, or practices a different religion than you, or identifies with a different ethnicity, and nonetheless remembering that they are human beings.I made a promise to myself: I will be a peacemaker, and I challenge you to be one, too.” – Kare Coley ’24

• “Even though I had been learning about the war in Vietnam for the past few months, coming face to face with the tangible impact was a lot more shocking than I had expected.” – Zarina Hamilton '24

• “The people throughout Vietnam were so kind. They were always waving, and almost everyone I met had a smile on their face, even in cities and alleyways.” - TJ Marshall '24

Javi Rodriquez and Max Mislow climb into a bunker at the Khe Sanh Combat Base, the site of one of the most well-known and extended battles.

The group enjoys a boat tour of the Hoa Lu lakes, connected by caves in the limestone hills in Ninh Binh province.

LASTING IMPRESSIONS OF FRANCE

The students bid “au revoir” at the Place Saint Michel in the Latin Quarter of Paris. Pictured, back row, from left: Owen Paterson ’25, Derek Copeland ’25, Ryan Wachter ’25, and Muyiwa Ogunsola ’25; middle row: Nora Fuchs ’25, Anna Livermore ’25, Grace Miller ’25, Thomas Rafailides ’25, and Liam Zinsmeister ’25; front row: Josie Svejda ’25, Ruth Elias ’25, Taylor Wu ’24, Stephanie Nwanna ’25, and Josie Kibel ’25.

Derek Copeland ’25, Grace Miller ’25, Anna Livermore ’25, Nora Fuchs ’25, Muyiwa Ogunsola ’24, Ryan Wachter ’25, and Liam Zinsmeister ’25 savor dinner on their final night in Paris.

• "I expected everything would be like Paris — old-style buildings cramped together in towns and cities. In the south of France, however, we saw beautiful mountains, green grass stretching for kilometers, and small cottages in the middle of massive vineyards.” – Muyiwa Ogunsola ’25

• “I didn’t realize how tiring it would be to speak in French the entire time, but I learned so much more by having conversations with people at the school in Lodève and shop owners than I ever would in a classroom.” – Grace Miller ’25

• “Something that surprised me was the difference in fashion. French people dress very well for everything they’re doing.” – Stephanie Nwanna ’25

• “I found myself absorbing phrases and terms I had never known before as I was introduced to colloquial French which differed greatly from the manner of speaking we learn in school.” – Ruth Elias ’2

• “Trying new foods and seeking out new experiences was the best part of the exchange trip!” - Derek Copeland '25

• “I was surprised by the different way they approach math in France. In the U.S., we learn math as a series of methods to achieve a result... like the Pythagorean theorem or the quadratic formula. They were much more focused on logical reasoning, using math as a tool to prove situations. I thought this approach was interesting and could be more applicable to careers that only use math sparingly as it teaches you how to form a sound argument.” - Owen Paterson '25

• “I was looking forward to seeing my exchange partner after hosting her in October. All of the French students were super inviting, and the opportunity to learn about the culture and meet amazing people is an experience I will never forget.” - Taylor Wu '24

• “While Paris was similar to the hustle of NYC, the south of France had a more moderate pace. I could walk to the bus as the sun rises, maybe catching a glimpse of a stray cat disappearing behind a wall. On the bus ride, I could see huge rolling green fields, hills, rivers, and other towns in the distance. Walking home at night, there were so many stars.” – Josie Svejda ’25

• “Several hours an evening were devoted to mealtime with my [host] family, which was always a lively affair. They spent little time discussing work, school, or college, instead talking about rugby, food, or entertainment. Family life in France was geared towards leisure and happiness.” – Ryan Wachter ’25

Anna Livermore ’25 says, “Recreating statue poses in the Louvre with Grace Miller is one of my favorite memories.”

Ruth Elias ’25 and Owen Paterson ’25 construct models of eco-homes with university design students.

Thomas Rafailides ’25 explores the medieval village of Carcassonne with his host family.

See more photos and student impressions of their global experiences here.