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St. Rita of Cascia High School Hosts Spanish Exchange Students
September 25, 2009
During the month of September, seven students and one faculty member from Colegio Urdaneta in Bilbao, a city in the Basque Country of Spain, spent two weeks as members of the St. Rita of Cascia High School community through St. Rita’s International Exchange Program, now in its third year.
Under the direction of Mrs. Jodi McLawhorn, the program has prospered since its inauguration in 2007 with an exchange from Emilie Wüstenfeld Gymnasium in Hamburg, Germany. This past academic year, an exchange was held between St. Rita and St. Augustine’s College in Sydney, Australia. The exchange with Urdaneta, like the one that was held last year with St. Augustine’s, connected St. Rita to another Augustinian school. Both St. Rita and Urdaneta are operated under the religious Order of St. Augustine.
During the month of September, seven students and one faculty member from Colegio Urdaneta in Bilbao, a city in the Basque Country of Spain, spent two weeks as members of the St. Rita of Cascia High School community through St. Rita’s International Exchange Program, now in its third year. (Left to right): Colegio Urdaneta students Alvaro Izquierdo, Santi Marquiegui Azuara, Jamie Garcia, Manu Suarez, Diego Bilbao, Ignacio Herera, and Pablo Ibanez. They are joined by St. Rita students Albert Alfano ’12 (Morgan Park Academy), Christian Chavez ’10 (Bridgeport Catholic Academy), Dan Foley ’11 (Homer Junior High), Kal Nastek ’12 (Keller Middle School), Billy Pink ’12 (St. Cajetan), Pat Boline ’10 (Queen of Martyrs), and Kevin Yerkes ’10 (Lenart) along with St. Rita Principal Mrs. Sally Deenihan, President Fr. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A. ’83, and Colegio Urdaneta faculty member Mr. Aitor Eguino.
It was a culture-filled three weeks, as the Spanish students and their hosts took many excursions around the city to places such as the Chicago History Museum, Millennium Park, Navy Pier, City Hall, and the Sears Tower. The Spanish students also spent several days in class at St. Rita, attended St. Rita’s 2009 Homecoming Week game, dance, and other festivities, and also took part in additional events with their St. Rita host families.
“We are living an unforgettable experience that we will never forget,” said Urdaneta student Alvaro Izquierdo, who stayed with Pat Boline ’10 (Queen of Martyrs) and his family. “We have had a great time learning English.”
The second leg of the exchange program with Urdaneta will come in June 2010, when the seven Ritamen who hosted the Spanish students will travel to Bilbao and experience the culture and people of Spain.
The continued success of this program puts St. Rita at the forefront of schools in Chicago that can be considered “open world schools.” As the global community becomes more compact, St. Rita looks forward to increased interaction with other cultures and schools, especially when Augustinian values form the basis of the relationship.
Australia
Germany