Students from Colegio Mulhacén Arrive at CM for Spanish Exchange Program

West Roxbury, Mass.— Catholic Memorial School welcomed eight boys from Colegio Mulhacén, a bilingual private school in Granada, Spain, to its campus during the launch of its 2019-2020 Spanish Exchange Program last week.

The group of eight students will stay with several host families from the CM community for a two-week period. Accompanied by their English teacher, Mr. Manuel Barragán, the international student group will shadow designated host students at CM and participate in several excursions into the city of Boston.

“For the people who are participating in it, there’s no comparison to a lived experience with an encounter of another culture,” said Mr. Gabriel Verdaguer, the Chair of CM’s World Languages Department.

“You can read everything you want about the U.S. or Spain, but when these boys actually board a plane and stay in someone else’s home, they get a totally different appreciation for the cultures and languages that they study.”

CM began the Spanish Exchange Program during the 2014-2015 academic school year. Mr. Verdaguer said that it was designed with the intention of providing both students from CM and partner schools with a one-of-a kind immersion into a new culture.

According to Mr. Verdaguer, the Spanish students staying with their CM host family will immerse themselves in both the CM and Boston communities. In April, CM students then switch schools with their Spanish counter-parts. In Spain, the CM students attend classes at a secondary school and explore Spanish culture.

During the 2017-2018 academic school year, the exchange program took a step forward when it partnered with Campus Bridge International. According to its website, Campus Bridge guides international students through the process of applying to an American high school, matches them with a homestay, and supports them through the college admissions process.

Through their services, Campus Bridge connects CM with schools in Spain who want their students to experience life at an American school. While working together in 2017 and 2018, Campus Bridge facilitated the exchange program’s relationship with Colegio Mulhacén.

This school year, Campus Bridge continued their partnership with the exchange program and brought in another group of students from Colegio Mulhacén. Outside of taking classes at CM, the itinerary for the Spanish students includes a walk along the Freedom Trail in downtown Boston, a tour of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame, and a tour of Harvard University.

The CM Families who host Spanish students also receive an unforgettable experience.

Senior Leo Borgonzi and his family hosted a Spanish exchange student during the 2017-2018 iteration of the program. Only a sophomore at the time, Leo still remembers his excitement from showing his temporary classmate around Boston and introducing him to a whole new culture.

“Being able to show them American foods and customs was a pretty incredible experience,” he said.

“They were in awe of everything they saw. The TD Garden. The Boston Common. You name it. We were also with them when they saw snow fall for the first time.”

From April 13 to April 26 of 2020, Colegio Mulhacén will host its own group of CM high school students. CM freshmen and sophomores receive preference when signing up for the two-week trip. Those with the privilege of attending the trip receive quite the welcome, according to Mr. Verdaguer.

In years past, CM students have watched soccer games at local cafes, toured pilgrimage sites, and explored the Spanish countryside during their stay in Spain.

Mr. Verdaguer believes that this year’s trip will continue its tradition of offering a rich cultural experience for all those who attend.