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
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