SYA students send news from abroad

By MEG O’HALLORAN ’25 STAFF WRITER

Four Hill students are having an adventure of a lifetime this year—a chance to experience the culture of a different country. School Year Abroad, a program of which Hill is a member school, sends teenagers all around the country to their

“A lot was being thrown at me: new country, new language, new family, new type of food, new school, etc. During that time, I just tried to remind myself of what my host family and teachers kept telling me, that little by little it would get better—and it did” outposts in Spain, Italy, and France for a semester or a full year. Students live with host families, go to school with other SYA and local students, and are immersed in language and culture in a way that can’t be replicated in a classroom. Three of the students studying abroad, 5th formers Diemmy Dang ’24, Morgan McMahon ’24, and Annie Gaither ’24, agreed to share their experiences over the past term.

Diemmy Dang ’24, a current 5th former participating in the SYA program.

Though easy to romanticize, for many students the transition to Europe is rocky.

“At first it was extremely challenging. Everything about my life had changed,” Gaither stated in an email.

“A lot was being thrown at me: new country, new language, new family, new type of food, new school, etc During that time, I just tried to remind myself of what my host family and teachers kept telling me, that little by little it would get better—and it did,” Dang agreed in her own email.

For McMahon the hardest part was “never the big things, because you expect those.” The small, cultural and regional differences in the day-to-day were the challenges she couldn’t have prepared for. Laughing, she shared that, “there was a two week period where I couldn’t open the door!”

Soon, though, they found themselves adapting to a new routine, growing close to their host siblings and parents, and starting to feel more confident in their language abilities.

“I’m grateful that I have a super caring host family that has really welcomed me into their lives,” Dang stated. “As for friends, this is a pretty small program, so everyone gets to know each other in a really unique way. We’re all going through something different and a little scary at first and I think that’s a bonding experience.”

Morgan thought that SYA students “build a community that I could never begin to describe.” She and her friends went to school, hung out, and traveled together. A plus she highlighted for anyone thinking about SYA—there’s many opportunities for solo travel around some of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Hill ties, however, never sever, not even between thousands of miles and grueling time differences.

“At first, it was extremely challenging. Everything about my life had changed”

Annie Gaither ’24, a current 5th former participating in the SYA program.

“Hill is still a big part of my life in France,” Gaither wrote. “I talk to my Hill friends almost every day.”

Dang decided to travel back to the states for winter break and was able to recon- nect with friends and teachers on campus.

Morgan’s back to Hill for the Winter term, readjusting to our community and dazzling everyone with stories of her adventures.

Independence and confidence were the keywords as the girls looked back on their experience thus far.

“I’m capable of more than I thought I was,” Dang said.

McMahon thought fondly of the new person she’s become. “I learned how to talk to people. Learning how to do that in a different language really helps the English aspect of things,” she reflects.

The wide range of experiences, from worry to feelings of home, reminded Gaither of a quote from John Lennon: “Everything is okay in the end; if it’s not okay it’s not the end.”