Yixi Zou ’25—Bogotá, Colombia

I had been in the Hotchkiss bubble for a long time, and I wanted to experience a new world, along with a chance to practice my Spanish skills!

Everything felt different at first. The Spanish I learned at Hotchkiss was academically geared, but in Colombia, I picked up everyday Spanish.

I attended Los Nogales, a bilingual school. Most students spoke fluent English, but I tried to speak Spanish with them. Los Nogales is one of the top schools in Colombia—very academic, with lots of extracurricular offerings. Everyone was so nice and outgoing. I felt welcomed everywhere on campus. I played violin in the orchestra and joined a project aimed to resolve the school’s parking issues.

My host family brought me on adventure after adventure. One day, we hiked 4,000 meters above sea level. Though I’m not the most athletic person, it was an amazing experience. My host family gave me more than a temporary home—they pushed me to become more independent and step outside of my comfort zone.

Colombia proved to be much more than what I imagined it to be. It is important to embrace diverse experiences without holding on to prejudices and stereotypes.

Amy Deme ’26—Paris, France

I chose to apply for an exchange because I wanted to gain insight on worldly matters. I think at Hotchkiss, or even more broadly in the U.S., we tend to be centered so on ourselves. I thought it would be an amazing opportunity to go discover a new culture and people.

I attended École Alsacienne. It was a rigorous school, and the student-teacher relationship was much more formal than at Hotchkiss—you couldn’t really call your teachers your “friends.”

Living with a host family boosted my skills in conversational French. It was a bit awkward at first, as a rather shy person living with completely new people. But they were as eager to learn about me as I was to learn about them. There was so much to talk about!

One of the highlights of my trip was when I went with my host family to Hossegor, a surf town on the coast. We watched the sunrise and the sunset; it was so beautiful.

My main takeaway from my time abroad is that there’s more to the world than what you know. In Paris, I learned so much from living in the moment.

For anyone going on an exchange: take advantage of every little thing, because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Wyatt Wahl ’25—Bogotá, Colombia

My time in Colombia was amazing for my Spanish skills. I started thinking and even dreaming in Spanish; it became so natural.

I enrolled at Colegio Anglo Colombiano, an IB day school. It went from preschool through high school, so there was a mix of ages.

When I wasn’t at school, I was with my incredible host family. When I got there, they said, “This is your home and we are your family.” As I was leaving, they said, “You always have a home here.”

The highlights of my exchange were definitely the culture and the food. My favorite food was ajiáco: chicken and potato soup with herbs. I also enjoyed Cartagena, which is a touristy city. The old colonial walls and fortresses are amazing.

I am still in touch with the students I met. They were so excited to show me around their culture. During my Spring Break, they took me to different areas of the coast, including Santa Marta. I was fortunate to have made a lot of friends, and it was especially easy to bond with people through soccer.

Overall, I learned to be open to trying things, talking to people, and making mistakes.