Ursuline has one of the strongest global relationship programs in Dallas, and the summer delegations did not disappoint. This year, Ursuline traveled to Chile, Peru and England to visit our sister schools. Each trip was full of field trips, amazing food and unforgettable cultural exchanges.
Chile was the first delegation of the summer, and students traveled to Colegio Santa Ursula in Vitacura, a bustling district attached to Santiago.
The location was perfect for the delegation because it contains beautiful architecture, parks and most importantly, easy access to shopping.
In our Chilean sister school, students are taught German. Another major difference is the existence of a larger range of grade levels that Ursuline still was able to connect with.
“It was such a different dynamic to see the little kids there along with the high schoolers. I loved being able to become friends with girls from other grades, like preschool and 6th grade! Also, a girl from 6th grade gave me a handmade bracelet that I still wear every day!” said Ryan Kenny, Ursuline Sophomore.
Activities the exchange students did varied, but some notable ones were making empanadas, clay making and traveling to different tourist spots in Chile.
Many such adventures were focused on spending time outdoors, including traveling to Isla Negra and Sky Costanera. “My highlight was definitely seeing the Sky Constanera, because my family took me during sunset, and it was beautiful!” said Kenny.
Isla Negra borders Chile’s coast and is the nickname for a house built by a famous poet named Pablo Neruda which has been converted into a museum, while Santiago’s Sky Costanera is an observatory located on the tallest building in South America that shows the entire city and beyond.
The delegation also had the chance to visit the village of Pomaire, which is known for its pottery and artists. The Ursuline girls were able to make their very own pottery!
“Going to the village of Pomaire was such a cool experience, and I loved being able to make my own pottery, all while learning about the rich history of it,” said Makayla Baxter, an Ursuline sophomore.
On June 14th, the Chile delegation set off for Dallas, saying goodbye to their new friends and family in Chile.
“I loved my host sister! She and her family were so welcoming, and having the opportunity to have another American student with me made the experience with my host family so special. I really enjoyed hanging out with [her], and doing daily Chilean activities that seemed so different to us!” said Kenny.
Also in June was the delegation to Wimbledon, England. Located on the border of London, Wimbledon has lots of fields, parks, and greenery, without as much of the urban focus.
Students saw popular tourist spots such as the Big Bend London Bridge, and the London Eye, which is a famous London Ferris wheel.
One culture shock was driving and walking on the opposite side of the road.
“Everyone walks on the left side of the street, even on escalators. Obviously, they drive on the left side of the road too, which is so different to me. They also pronounce Ursuline differently than we do,” said Alex Lattanzio, a sophomore.
The cooler summer weather and traditional English food were also surprising. Students got to have fish and chips, beans on toast and a traditional English dinner.
Although the delegation students had plenty of free time on the weekends, they also got to experience England’s education system.
“The name of my host student is Niamh Delaney, and I loved staying with her and her family! She had one older sister that was in her last year of high school, and she was studying for her A Level Tests which are similar to the SAT and ACT,” said Lattanzio.
Although academic aspects of England have different names, they mostly parallel what we have in the United States. “Their classes seemed a lot more challenging than the ones in America, but they have a somewhat similar schedule to ours,” said Lattanzio.
However, students at Ursuline in Wimbledon also take Food Tech, a cooking class, which is very unique.
“One of the coolest parts of my trip was watching a practice version of the trooping of the color,” said Lattanzio.
The Trooping of the Colour is an ancient military-styled parade that appears annually, marking the British Sovereign’s official birthday and the military’s union with the King. The tradition and magic of the parade continue today.
“My top three favorite parts of the trip were going to London with the entire hosting group and British students, shopping on Oxford Street, and visiting Hampton Court Castle where King Henry VIII lived,” said Lattanzio. “I am going to miss my host family so much!”
Peru was the last delegation to end the very global summer. With only six girls and four chaperones, Peru was the smallest delegation of the three.
The Ursuline Dallas group left for Lima, Peru on July 2nd and landed around 10 p.m.. The Ursuline girls were greeted by their host families in front of Colegio Santa Ursula, an all-girls school founded in 1936.
“After landing in Lima, we had to quickly change and go through immigration, which took about two hours. We finally met our host sisters around 2 a.m.,” Noemi Lopez, sophomore, said.
The Ursuline Dallas girls spent the Fourth of July in Peru, and were surprised that morning with cupcakes and the chance to make a Peruvian treat! Then, the Ursuline girls went to class with their host sisters and met some students who were visiting from their school in Germany.
Colegio Santa Ursula has close ties to Germany because their school was founded by German nuns, and the girls also take German as one of their classes.
“Going to class was interesting because the girls didn’t walk all around campus for their next class, they mostly stayed in the same spot,” Ellie Bright, Ursuline senior, said.
July 6th was Teachers’ Day, a national holiday in Peru. The Ursuline girls attended mass with the whole school and watched a spectacular show performed by each of the grades.
“Teachers’ Day was such a cool experience, and I got to dance in the show as well!” Lopez said.
After Teachers’ Day, the school received a long weekend, the Ursuline girls spent lots of time with their host families, going to malls, movies, museums and popular restaurants!
After a long weekend of fun, on July 10th, the Ursuline girls visited an elementary school sponsored by the Ursuline sisters called Colegio San Jose de Miramar. Each class had prepared a special gift or performance for the delegation.
“The little kids were so sweet and thoughtful! Truly an unforgettable experience!” said Izzy Surmiller ’27.
The next day was very busy as the delegation went on a tour of Lima and had the privilege of going into some of the historic buildings. When they came back to the school in the afternoon, the Ursuline girls gave a presentation to the 8th graders about UA life and the United States.
On July 12, the Ursuline girls accompanied Sr. Barbara to the community of Pachacutec where they donated clothes, food and money to support those in need. The Ursuline Sisters have been working with this community for years by offering sacrament preparation and catechism classes.
On the last school day for the delegation, the Peruvian Ursuline Sisters invited the Dallas girls and chaperons to lunch in the convent. It was a bittersweet day for the girls who made so many new friends at the school.
The Ursuline Dallas girls said goodbye to their host sisters on July 14, leaving behind the friends they made along the way.
“It was so hard leaving my host sister and her family. We became such great friends in a short period of time, and I’m forever grateful for the hospitality my host family showed me as if I was their own daughter. I’ll never forget this experience and I would love to travel to Peru sometime in the future,” said Kaitlyn Troendle, Ursuline senior.
The Ursuline delegation finally made it home July 16, after getting stuck in Miami and having to spend a night there. After reuniting with their families, the girls will surely never forget their families back in Peru.
Although summer is over, fall delegations are already on the schedule. Applications for being a host student are relatively quick: the only requirements are that the student needs a 75 in all classes and good student conduct, plus filling out the form to complete the process so the host can be chosen.
Students will be traveling from the school Ahliyyah & Mutran, located in Amman, Jordan, between October 1st and October 11th.
Ahliyyah & Mutran actually represents two schools, the Ahliyyah School for Girls and the Bishop’s School Amman for Boys, which were once separated to give single-gender education but now are combined. The program focuses on International Baccalaureate learning.
Additionally, Ursuline High School in Wimbledon will be coming to Dallas from Oct. 24 to Nov. 2. Both schools are Catholic, but Wimbledon starts in year 6th, which is equivalent to 5th grade here.
We are looking forward to meeting our delegation sisters this year and are ready to continue the community started this summer! As the upcoming delegations approach, we are excited to see our global exchanges grow even further.
THE BEAR FACTS 