Exchange students will travel to France and Taiwan

Students participating in the Student Exchange Program at IWA pose with French teacher Janet Lumley, from left, and students Olivia Moretzsohn, Payton Vicknair and Braden Nesheim with IWA High School Level Principal, Jose Torres.
 

The Corpus Christi Sister City Student Exchange Program announced travel plans for three Incarnate Word Academy High School Level students during a press conference at the Galvan House in Heritage Park on March 22. This year, juniors Olivia Moretzsohn and Payton Vicknair will be traveling across the world to visit Agen, France while junior Braden Nesheim will be venturing to Keelung, Taiwan.

As part of the exchange program, High School Level students who submit their application and are selected spend two weeks in a sister city over the summer with a host student and family. The students will then return home with their host students to spend two weeks in Corpus Christi in order to broaden their horizons and learn about other cultures. Corpus Christi sister cities include Yokosuka in Japan, Agen in France, and Keelung in Taiwan.

“I take French and I love it,” Payton said during an interview with KIII-TV—Channel 3. Payton said she is excited to cross France off of her bucket list of travel destinations. “I want to go see the Eiffel Tower, visit their beaches, and [experience] their food!”

According to program chair Heather Moretzsohn, the opportunity to experience another country and culture brings a new perspective to students and provides additional insight on how to develop relationships with students from other cities across the globe.

“There’s a bigger world out there, “Moretzsohn said. “[Students] need to be aware of that in order to be competitive in the marketplace nowadays.