Maribeth Sublette
Where did you go and how did you benefit from it?
“I went to a state called Skopje, Macedonia,” English teacher Maribeth Sublette said. “I benefited from experiencing a different culture and I benefited from seeing the education system.”
What are some customs you learned from being in a new place?
“When you do something or give something, you do it in threes,” Sublette said. “It has to be an odd number. Even numbers are bad luck there; you give three gifts, never two. They also spend a lot of time eating. Lunch is their big meal of the day, so it’s not uncommon for them to spend three or four hours having lunch with their friends or family.”
What was the best part of being in a new place?
“I really liked feeling completely foreign,” Sublette said. “I did not understand their alphabet; I didn’t understand the words. The most exciting thing I did there was going to a Macedonian wedding, experiencing the customs was really interesting. I learned their traditional wedding dance, and it was a lot of fun.”
What did you take away from the experience?
“Regardless of where you are in the world, people are far more similar than they are different,” Sublette said.
Avery Tomasi
Where did you go and how did you benefit from it?
“[I went to] Beaulie Sur Mer in France,” senior Avery Tomasi said. “It was really cool seeing the different cultures and how differently they live in France, and it was sort of an unreal experience. For the most part, they have a pretty relaxed lifestyle.”
What was your favorite part of your visit?
“My favorite part was living on the French Riviera, which is right on the Mediterranean, and being able to go to the beach everyday,” Tomasi said. “I made it a thing to go to the beach everyday; I think I went to 16 different beaches when I was there.”
What did you take away from your experience?
“I took away never to necessarily believe stereotypes are true, because I learned a lot of stereotypes about the French aren’t true,” Tomasi said.
Amie Troutt
Where did you go and how did you benefit from it?
“I went to Skopje, Macedonia, and Sister Cities gave me an idea of how big the world is beyond Tempe,” senior Amie Troutt said. “I got a feel for different cultures, but rather than just being in the city as a tourist, I was more of a student there. It was cool to see the different lifestyles and the different upbringings people have.”
What was your favorite part of your visit?
“I really liked living with a different family; my family here is great, but it was cool to see how a different family interacts with each other,” Troutt said. “My parents were great, loving people, and they accepted me into their house. I really liked that, because rather then just living at a hotel, I was getting the feel for different cultures.”
What did you take away from your experience?
“There’s just so much more outside of Tempe to experience,” Troutt said. “I highly recommend any junior to do it.”
Abby Kennedy
Where did you go and how it benefit you?
“I went to Regensburg, Germany, and my benefit was just experiencing their lifestyle,” senior Abby Kennedy said. “It wasn’t an academic exchange; it was more our experience. So, I lived with a German family and I had a sister. We just experienced life as they would on a daily basis.”
What are some customs you learned from being in a new place?
“The scenery is completely different from Arizona, that’s one thing that stood out to me,” Kennedy said. “It’s super green there, you just don’t know how to take it all in… They do things pretty similar to America; they have similar cultures, it’s just a lot older.”
What was the best part of being in a new place?
“[The best part was] getting out and being able to see different things, living a different life, and not having to worry about your daily activities,” Kennedy said. “It was an extremely stress-free environment and that was probably one of my favorite things about Germany.”
Dana Thorne
Where did you go and how did you benefit from it?
“I went to Regensburg, Germany,” senior Dana Thorne said. “It was a really good learning experience because you have to step out of your comfort zone and deal with situations that aren’t always ideal.”
What was the best part of being in a new place?
“I think the best part is being completely on your own because you get to discover it for yourself and find what you like,” Thorne said. “It makes you a better person.”
What did you take away from the experience?
“A bunch of relationships with people around the world I’ve never had a chance to meet before,” Thorne said. “You get to talk to everybody from different countries.”
Delaney Green
Where did you go and how did it benefit you?
“I went to Cuenca, Ecuador,” senior Delaney Green said. “It benefitted my confidence and independence. It also helped my ability to form relationships with strangers. It’s an opportunity to be close to other people; living with them means you’re not in your comfort zone at all, and not speaking the same language forces you to be more outgoing than you probably want to be.”
What was your favorite part of your visit?
“I loved hanging out with all the kids my age, going dancing and being able to go downtown,” Green said. “It’s such a safe place and everyone was friends with everyone. Their culture is so exciting; you would go out and everyone is dancing and boys are teaching you salsa and merengue. They loved to dance and everyone plays music.”
What did you take away from your experience?
“It really increased my motivation to travel to other parts of the world,” Green said. “I can’t wait to go back to that specific city, because I fell in love with it. I still talk everyday with my family and the friends I met there.”