The French Connection

Santa Catalina welcomes its first exchange students under new global education program

It was a dark and stormy night when Santa Catalina’s first exchange students arrived on campus. French sophomores Eva Marie Goossens and Doriane Charlier blew into town during an unusually strong winter storm in January. School had been canceled the day before because of a power outage, and Greer Dorm was still shrouded in darkness when the new arrivals pulled up outside. There, in a sea of dancing light cast by cellphones and lanterns, dozens of Catalina students rushed out to greet them. Eva Marie recalls, “Every girl was actually happy to see us. They were so welcoming when we arrived.”

Eva Marie and Doriane would spend the next six weeks immersed in Catalina culture, taking classes, engaging in campus life, spending time with local families, and joining weekend excursions. It’s all thanks to Catalina’s new partnership with Saint-Denis International School, a Catholic coed boarding and day school in the town of Loches in the Loire Valley of central France. The sister school relationship is Catalina’s first. “Saint-Denis International School is a very special place, and has much in common with Santa Catalina,” says Dr. Kassandra Thompson Brenot ’87, director of global education at Catalina.

In addition to student exchanges, the partnership with Saint-Denis provides opportunities for virtual collaboration, cultural understanding, and service projects addressing global issues. And students won’t be the only ones to benefit; teachers can grow their peer network and expand their knowledge of different educational practices. “At its core, a sister school partnership goes beyond connecting schools; it’s about connecting people,” Dr. Brenot explains.

As Catalina does for every new student, the school connected Eva Marie and Doriane with a support network of “big sisters” who could show them the ropes. Nadia Aligawesa, a senior boarding student; Eleanor Song, a junior boarding student; and Ava Kruger, a junior day student—all three part of Catalina’s global leadership certificate program—were happy to serve as guides. “I was most excited to share all of our school traditions with them, as well as Catalina culture,” notes Eleanor, citing favorite meals on campus and elaborate “birthday desks” in Study Hall as examples.

The exchange students quickly settled into Catalina life. They took advantage of almost every trip the school offered. They visited Chinatown in San Francisco, kayaked and surfed in Monterey Bay, shopped at Santana Row in San Jose, and selected family gifts in downtown Carmel. They made a guest appearance in the second-grade classroom to talk about life in France. They went to the sophomore dance. They created TikTok dance videos with other students in the dorm hallway. “Their fun and kind-hearted character brought a fresh new energy to our school,” says Eleanor.

Their time with the Catalina community extended to day families, who hosted the girls in their homes. Eva Marie and Doriane enjoyed a weekend with Ava Kruger and her family; they played board games, went shopping, and took trips to the beach and the aquarium. Christina Cuva Rodriguez, the mother of a freshman at Catalina, invited the two exchange students for dinner. Ms. Rodriguez had been an exchange student in France when she was younger, and she wanted to give Eva Marie and Doriane a chance to experience “real life” in another country, as she had done. “I wanted the girls to see how we live, meet our dog, swap dog stories, and invite dialog about differences they observed,” she says.

Indeed, the exchange had much to offer by way of cultural comparison. “The question we had the most was, What’s the biggest difference between here and France?” says Eva Marie. “This is the best way to start a conversation.” Aside from noting the sheer size of everything in America, the girls picked up on cultural differences in the school setting. “The teachers [at Catalina] are very friendly—we’re going to have fun with them,” Doriane recalls, whereas in France, the student-teacher relationship is more rigid. Coming from a coed school, they also found the all-girls experience to be something special. Doriane sums it up: “There’s this feeling that we can be normal. Everyone understands us.”

All of this swapping of cultural information is exactly the way to build global competence in students—the key aim of Catalina’s global education program. As Dr. Brenot explains, “It’s knowing how to examine and analyze different cultures, understanding that others have different perspectives than your own, and being able to communicate with people of different cultures effectively and appropriately.” One of Dr. Brenot’s favorite examples from the exchange was comparing sense of humor in France and the United States.

As a boarding school with students hailing from nine countries, Santa Catalina has an innate global awareness. What the exchange program offers is additional perspectives from countries not typically represented on campus—and, of course, the chance for Catalina sophomores to study abroad for six weeks, likely in the fall. In addition to Saint-Denis, Catalina has formed a sister school partnership with Downe House School, an allgirls school in Berkshire, England.

As a parent and former exchange student, Ms. Rodriguez sees the value that time abroad brings to teenagers, including the chance to grow outside of their family unit, feed their curiosity, and gain courage—benefits that would be familiar to any boarding family. As Ms. Rodriguez says, “The exchange program offers a safe and healthy platform for children to mature, navigate challenges, appreciate differences, and share life experiences.” Lasting friendships are also a beautiful side effect.