Bishops College - Jazz Oberoi

Last July, I traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, where I attended school at Bishops Diocesan School and experienced the culture and school life there. Bishops and MBA were quite similar: both have challenging academics, place high value on sports, and have beautiful expansive campuses. The student life felt familiar too, with students showing great enthusiasm for not only national sports teams, but also high school sports. Rugby matches like Rondebosch vs. Bishops (BishBosh) attracted 15000 in attendance.

I was able to take matric classes, their equivalent of senior-level courses, which gave me a new perspective on their education system. I even learned some Afrikaans, one of the national languages, which was a fun way to connect with classmates. Outside of school, one of the most eye-opening moments was visiting Langa, a township that gave me a deeper understanding of the country’s history and social challenges.

Cape Town’s natural beauty was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I hiked up Table Mountain, ziplined through the mountains, and visited Boulders Beach to meet the famous African penguins. I also went to Cape Point, the southernmost tip of Africa, where I saw incredible wildlife. Everywhere I looked, there were towering mountains, blue oceans, and breathtaking views.

I’m grateful for the chance to immerse myself in Cape Town’s culture, learn from its people, and see such stunning places. Thank you to Mrs. Scholer, MBA, and my host family for making this exchange possible. I left with new friends, unforgettable experiences, and a greater appreciation for the world beyond my own community.

Christ's College - Daniel McLaren & Henry Billings

Daniel: Travelling to New Zealand was one of the most memorable, breathtaking, and enjoyable experiences that I have ever experienced abroad. The Kiwi people were some of the most welcoming and kind people that I have ever ordained myself with. When I arrived I was greeted by the father of my exchange student, and we immediately hopped in a car and drove six hours to Cromwell. We were on holiday for the first week that I was in New Zealand, and I got to go to many cool places like Wanaka and Queenstown. Furthermore, I was able to go skydiving and bungee jumping. I personally liked bungee jumping more as I felt it was more thrilling. I  also experienced skiing in the southern hemisphere which was something that was on my bucket list. After a week of holiday, I arrived in Christchurch for the first time. My host family welcomed me with open arms into their home. Christ's College has a beautiful campus and embraces the classic New Zealand culture. They had classes that are not offered at MBA like Psychology, Business and Enterprise, and the indigenous Kiwi language: Te Reo Maori. The connections that I made in New Zealand will last me a lifetime, and I'm excited for the friends I made to come visit the United States. Travelling without a parent or an adult allowed me to experience a glimpse of my future without my parents, and I had to rely on being independent. I frequently would wander into the town of Christchurch because the school was in downtown and get to experience the everyday life of a New Zealand native. This experience allowed me to see a different sphere of life, and I will be forever grateful for being given the opportunity. 

Henry: My time at Christ College in New Zealand was one of the most exotic, memorable, and awesome experiences of my life. The architecture of the school was truly stunning. The beauty of the landscape, culture of the nation, and attention to detail with respect to snacks and food were all different from home. For my first week, I stayed in Wanaka, New Zealand with the family of my host, Teddy Hailey. During this week, I was obviously not at school and instead was enjoying the outdoors and familiarizing myself with the culture. I went skiing which felt out of place because it was in the middle of July and later went bungee jumping in the same week. Although skiing was familiar to me, bungee jumping was completely new. I am proud to have conquered the complete terror I felt at first. Next, we traveled to Christchurch for my stay at Christ College. The school warmly embraced me, and my highlights of my time there were my PE and psychology classes, the first XV rugby games, and meeting new friends. This trip has made me a better traveller, friend, and student. But the major thing I learned on this trip was about the benefits of solitude. Frequently on this trip, because I was boarding, I would spend my school nights alone and without any school work. Being alone allows for reflection on the day, time to read and discover new things, or even wander into town. My memories of this trip will be with me for a lifetime and I am forever grateful for this grant, the friends I made along the way, and the Haileys

Michaelhouse - Loring Helfrich & Seth Taber

 Loring:

My time at Michaelhouse was truly a life-changing experience. At first, I was nervous, but upon arrival at the school, I was welcomed with open arms and immediately felt at home. Everyone wanted to spend time with “The Americans.” I have met so many exchange students who have come to MBA, but actually going on exchange exceeded my expectations. Everyone was so nice and wanted to learn about what life is like in the US. The school was a brick castle. Every building was connected with a series of square courtyards. It took a week before I knew my way around the campus. Another amazing aspect of the school was the bordering reserve. Finally, playing rugby was incredible. During the first practice,  Seth and I would walk to the reserve and fly fish in the ponds. We had the option of camping with a group, but it fell through. My favorite experiences outside of Michaelhouse were the exchange student travel days. We went on safaris, shark diving, and cultural trips into the mountains. Seeing such incredible species up close was eye-opening. National Geographic is one thing, but seeing a Black Rhino at five yards was like nothing I had ever experienced. We learned about poaching in the reserve and how the poachers use dogs to hunt animals. We did a fence walk and found holes where dogs travel and saw spots where snares were set in the past. However, these experiences do not compare to the friends Seth and I made. We were invited all over the country, but sadly had to decline most of the offers due to time constraints. But we jumped at the opportunity to hunt with a family on their personal reserve. I was allowed to harvest a beautiful blesbok. The meat was donated to the local village, and no part of the animal was wasted. In conclusion, my experience was exceptional, and I look forward to keeping in touch with the friends I made while in South Africa. 

Seth:

My trip to the Michaelhouse School in South Africa was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I will be forever glad that I was chosen to go. Living in the boarding school itself was an experience, and I had never met so many people in my life in such a short span. Every night, I had a constant flow of classmates coming in and out of my room to talk to the American. Safe to say I did not get much sleep because they kept me up so late. Michaelhouse also treated us, exchange students, well. They took us on a series of trips, including shark diving, Durban, Safari, and the Drakensberg mountains. On these trips, we met other exchange students from India, Australia, and Scotland. At the boarding school itself, I met people from all over Africa. Meeting all these people from literally all over the world allowed me to create connections and friendships that will last a lifetime. Rugby games were awesome. We went to quite a few Michaelhouse rugby games where we participated in the student section and cheered on the first team. I also got the chance to learn how to play rugby, and played in a game, which is something I thought I would never do. Michaelhouse also had an on-campus animal reserve, where we could go hiking, fishing, and see animals like zebras. On our Safari, we saw a series of animals, including the cheetah, elephant, wildebeest, and lions. My favorite experience was my hunting trip. My exchange partner and I went hunting with one of the Michaelhouse students' families. There, I shot a Blesbok and Red Hartebeest and met native South African Hunting guides. The community received the meat from the animals I killed to help solve the issues of poverty and hunger. All in all, I made connections across the world and got to go through such cool experiences that I would never find anywhere else.