by Madeleine Nguyen (’26) | March 1, 2024
You may have heard the buzz that there were students from France on campus a few weeks ago, and you might have even seen them in your classes. Our Lancer community recently welcomed a group of French exchange students, as well as two French educators, from the St. Michel de Picpus school in Paris. They visited Saint Francis through a program between the two schools where each French student was matched with a Saint Francis student who hosted them during their stay. The student hosts were able to give their guests a taste of American culture and life as high schoolers in the Bay Area.
The French exchange students flew across the world and arrived safely in the Bay Area on Sunday, February 4 despite rainy weather. This flight was only the beginning of their week-long adventure. To start off the week, each Saint Francis student host took their exchange student with them to school. Swara Shah (’26) described her routine with her exchange student, Lucie, as a “normal day,” recounting how they “got ready together, went to school, and attended [her] classes and activities.”
During their time on campus, mainly Monday and Tuesday, the French exchange students were able to experience much of the Lancer community and overall high school experience through clubs, classes, and other activities. A memorable moment was a meeting held by Saint Francis’ French club celebrating La Chandeleur and what it is. During the meeting, students learned about the celebration and made crêpes with Nutella and strawberries. The gathering was an amazing opportunity for the exchange students to connect and socialize with Lancer students and educators.
Besides experiencing campus and after school life, the exchange students were able to explore more of the Bay Area. From Wednesday to Friday, the exchange students visited Moreau Catholic High School, Saint Francis’ sister school, and stopped by Stanford and the Google campus to get a look into the innovation that is the hallmark of Silicon Valley. They were also able to visit San Francisco, dubbed “The City,” to see the iconic Chinatown and Pier 39.
The excitement did not stop after the school week ended; it carried on to the weekend as well. Shah recounts, “We took Lucie to more of San Francisco—the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Ghirardelli Square, and the Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk.” She also notes that they watched the Super Bowl that Sunday and that it “was really fun because it was [Lucie’s] first time watching American football.”
Overall, this experience has made a profound impact not only on the exchange students themselves but also our community. We were able to open up our campus and allow people oceans away to experience what life at Saint Francis is like. This opportunity allowed everyone to share their own culture while learning about other traditions. “We made some amazing memories, and I will never forget the time we spent together,” says Shah, highly valuing her time with her new friend.