Breck’s exchange program was created a few decades ago, and remains an integral part of the school. Recently, many students have come to Breck from China, Vietnam, South Korea, Russia, and the Czech Republic. We spoke to Ms. Wang, the director of Breck’s exchange program, who said that the exchange program has been impacted by Covid and is still recovering. She said, “we used to have students from Italy, France, and other places.” In the future, she hopes to see “a more diverse group from more countries and continents.” She also said, “I think it would be great if someday we could see it as an exchange program: we go to them, they come to us.”
We caught up with some of Breck’s current exchange students:
Can you tell us a bit about where you are from?
Dan (Grade 10): I was born in Russia, in Moscow, and lived there for twelve years. I moved to the U.S. to study here at Breck.
Alice (Grade 10): I come from China. The taste of Chinese food in China is very different from the taste of American Chinese food. China’s public transportation is very developed. If you want to go there, you don’t have to worry about not being able to get where you want to go.
Jack (Grade 11): I come from Beijing, China. Similar to New York City, Beijing is a metropolis that has a population of more than 20 million people. Most people in Beijing live in apartments instead of houses.
What’s a fun fact about you?
Dan: A fun fact about me is that I speak three languages, Spanish, English and Russian.
Alice: I once passed by a Chinese classroom at Breck school and misheard what they were saying. I heard Good Morning as grilled sausages (their pronunciation is somewhat similar in Chinese), and I wondered for a long time whether there would be grilled sausages in school today.
Jack: I love to play Minecraft!
What’s your favorite thing about Breck so far?
Dan: My favorite thing about Breck so far is that the community is very welcoming.
Alice: I like the lessons in Breck. In China, my upper school has a very busy and pressured schedule.
Jack: There is a sense of community existing among the students in Breck.
What’s your favorite food?
Dan: My favorite food Is Pizza.
Alice: I like pineapple and sweet braised pork.
Jack: Steak
What’s something you miss about home?
Dan: The thing I miss most is my friends from Russia
Alice: My younger sister.
Jack: My family members