For 10 days over Christmas break, Arrowhead students Elyse Transon and Ashley Zenoni had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the Mexican culture.

The girls traveled with a group of students from MATC and not only had the opportunity to live with a native Mexican family, but also the chance to attend Spanish classes. Their days were filled with grammatical, conversational, and situational classes where they improved their ability to speak the Spanish language. These classes not only helped the girls improve their Spanish speaking skills, but also gave them college credits.

“Our classes were hard, but they were fun,” said Transon “We got to play games and do activities, so even though we were learning, we were enjoying ourselves too.”

When they weren’t busy learning, the girls had the opportunity to travel to various Mexican landmarks including Mexican pyramids, Las Estacas (a natural spring), Taxco (a silver mine), and the cathedral in Mexico City. Perhaps the most memorable experience was their visit to a Mexican orphanage where they were able to interact with the children who lived there.

“I’m not a motherly person at all, so it was probably the scariest experience of my life,” joked Transon “Seriously though, it was a great experience.”

Although they were only there for ten days, the things that they learned and the people they met had a lasting effect. Zenoni liked her time there so much that she even plans on going back over the summer to further her studies.

“The trip to Mexico was such a great experience,” commented Zenoni “Even though I was miles away, I felt like I was home.”