This fall, sophomores and juniors welcome Sacred Heart Network Exchange students from across the globe into the Sacred Heart Greenwich community. The Network Exchange Program offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in new cultures, develop global friendships, and experience an international educational environment. Through this program, students stay with host families, attend school, and participate in community activities, thus creating a blending of cultures, languages, and perspectives. In September, Rocio Saenz from Mexico City, Mexico, arrived in September and stayed with junior Callie Regnery for three weeks. Carolina Olivia from Seville, Spain arrived in early October and stayed with sophomore Gianna Rodrigues.
In March 2024, Callie traveled to Mexico City, becoming the first Sacred Heart student to take part in an exchange to Mexico. While reflecting on her experience, Callie spoke about the contrasts she encountered during her stay. One difference she noticed was the family dynamic around meals. Callie commented on the the perspectives she gained from her trip to Mexico.
“My family and Rocio’s family had very different lifestyles at home,” Callie said. “In Mexico City, Rocio’s family rarely sat down for dinner together during the week, a contrast to my family’s routine. I think living outside the city, in the suburbs, contributes to having a more relaxed home environment compared to living in the capital of Mexico. This change in family life opened up my eyes to new cultures and perspectives.”
Callie’s exchange student also noticed several cultural distinctions between Mexico City and the US during her visit from September 7 to September 28. With a population of 10 million, Mexico City is crowded and bustling, while Callie’s home in a Connecticut suburbs offers a quieter, slower paced lifestyle with just shy of 25,000 people, according to worldpopulationreview.com. Rocio reflected on how traveling to an new country pushed her to step outside of her comfort zone and adapt to new routines and new cultures. She spoke about how she enjoyed experiencing New England’s fall for the first time and expressed her appreciation for the natural beauty of the changing seasons.
“I loved seeing the leaves change from green to red, orange and yellow,” Rocio said. “In Mexico City, we do not see as much color change in the trees, so it was beautiful to experience that.”
Carolina stayed with Gianna from October 5 to November 1. She noticed several differences between Connecticut and Seville, particularly the cooler weather and the distinct shift from summer to fall. In Seville, during October temperatures range from 83 degrees Fahrenheit to 73 degrees Fahrenheit and rarely falling below 66 degrees, according to weatherspark.com. In Connecticut, temperatures range from 66 degrees Fahrenheit to 55 degrees Fahrenheit and rarely fall below 45 degrees, according to weatherspark.com. In addition to the weather, Carolina noticed differences between the school atmosphere in Seville and the US. She reflected on how the dynamic school schedule within the US has impacted her.
“In Seville, we keep the same teacher in school for all our classes, and we do not rotate classrooms throughout the day,” Carolina said. “In the US there are different teachers for each class which was a big difference. Also in Spain, classes are very loud and talkative, while in the US the classes are very quiet. This difference let me see a different way of teaching and learning, which was a positive experience.”
Featured Image by Michaela White ’26
