Three Dana students will be heading to Zaragoza, Spain, on February 28 to begin a three-week exchange with the Sansueña School. Nora Panahi ‘15, Allison Donahue ‘16, and Maddie Rivers ‘17 will stay with host families, attend classes, and experience the culture of Zaragoza. Five girls from the Sansueña School came to Dana in the fall. The girls traveling to Spain aim to practice their language skills in classes, in the homes of their host families, and in conversations with their friends.

Rivers comments, “I applied for this program because I am really looking forward to using the leadership skills that I have learned through Dana to real-life experiences, like traveling to a foreign country.” She is excited to take on the challenges of living away from home. “Patricia, my hostess, is one of the sweetest girls, and I’m overjoyed to see her again in less than two weeks. Overall, I’m most excited about seeing how school life at Sansueña compares with Dana, and seeing the parallels between our student bodies.”

Academic Dean Nancy Rich will be accompanying the Dana students to help them settle in for their three-week experience. She adds that “One of the most rewarding aspects of being a part of this program has been to see the growth of such strong friendships between and among the girls. I, too, grew attached to the Sansueña students and very much look forward to seeing them again.” She notes that programs like the Sansueña School exchange support Dana’s efforts to further incorporate global education into the School’s curriculum.

The program will be offered next year. and Spanish students can apply to participate. The program is open to sophomores through seniors enrolled in at least Spanish II. The goal of the program, as indicated by the application, is to to offer students the opportunity to increase their knowledge of Spanish culture and opportunities to speak Spanish with native speakers. Stay tuned to hear about the student’s experiences when they return from Spring Break.

Image Source: Brooke Brown