Spending your 16th birthday over 6,000 miles away from home is difficult enough.

Having to do it through a news-making typhoon is another thing.

“I was worried that the weather would mean I couldn’t leave the house,” remarked Daisy H. (‘26).

Daisy, who spent her summer in Taipei, was one of several Windward students who studied abroad this summer and immersed themselves in foreign language and culture.

Although the school year may be underway, the experiences of Windward students from this past summer may get you thinking about summer abroad opportunities for the next one.

“There are a multitude of language immersion programs to choose from,” said Richard B., a Windward language teacher and the Director of Global Programs.

“CIEE is definitely the most popular program,” Richard said. “It’s a huge organization and very professional. Last year Windward had 28 students go with CIEE which is a huge number for any organization, and this year I think we had eleven or twelve.”

CIEE is not the only organization that offers such programs. Windward sends students on many other programs, as well, although none of these programs are Windward-affiliated.

But why should Windward students consider studying abroad?

Improve your Language Skills

A huge reason to go on a study abroad program is language acquisition.

As Richard said, from a teacher’s perspective, he can generally tell the difference between a student who has gone on a language immersion program, and one who hasn’t.
“It can mean the difference between being a fine student in their language class and being an extraordinary student in their language class,” he said.

Samantha G. (‘26) similarly noticed an improvement in her language abilities after four weeks of studying in Toulouse, France.

“My host mom didn’t speak English, which was actually a really big plus,” she said. “It made me fully immersed and I had to actually commit to understanding and speaking.”

“By the end of the program, I was able to understand better and speak more eloquently,” Samantha said. “I learned a lot more tenses and improved my diversity of speech. My host mom even told me that I really improved my skills.”

Meeting New People

Going on one of these language immersion programs is not only an educational experience, but also a social one.

Selynne P. (‘27) studied in Cádiz, Spain this summer through Centro MundoLengua.

“A highlight of my trip was probably meeting new friends and exploring the city together,” said Selynne.

“On purpose, I went on the program by myself without knowing anyone that was going,” she explained. “It forced me to be more outgoing and meet new people instead of sticking with people I already knew.”

Selynne reflected that the friends she made on this program were lifelong and she continues to stay in touch with them.

Learning How to Be Independent

Leaving your home and family to study in a remote country can be daunting, but it provides you with valuable life skills, such as learning how to function independently.
Having an opportunity where you are in charge of your own decisions is important, especially in preparation for college.

“When you’re on the program, you have a lot of freedom and independence,” said Selynne.

For many students, it’s their first time being away from their families for a prolonged period of time, taking public transportation by themselves, or even learning how to do their own laundry.

“I think it helps people to achieve a certain level of autonomy, meaning they can operate without the guidance of their parents.” Richard said. “They can think for themselves in a way that maybe if they stayed in their own place, they wouldn’t get to.”

Expanding your Perspective

Living in a foreign country can be a mind-opening experience because it allows you to understand how other people of different cultures live.

“You learn so much more about a new culture and new people, and the experiences are just so different than anything else,” Samantha said. “It’s so interesting to see how other people live, and to experience things that you would never get to in America.”

Richard added, “I think learning how to be an outsider and going to a place where you’re not of the dominant population or culture is a really valuable experience. To really begin to understand different viewpoints and to start to appreciate them, that opens one’s mind to a wealth of new possibilities.”

Unforgettable Memories

For Daisy, her time abroad allowed her to celebrate a birthday with an added twist: a typhoon.

Typhoon Gaemi caused mass destruction across East Asia, and brought heavy rainfall and winds up to 125 miles per hour.

On Daisy’s birthday, her “school was shut down and [she] attended class on Zoom.” Fortunately, as evening arrived, the typhoon somehow “calmed down,” and she was able to go to karaoke with some of her friends from the program.

“Afterwards, my host family took me out to eat and got me my favorite flavor of cake and some gifts,” Daisy said.

She continued, “That night, before I went to bed, my host mom told me that she felt like I was her real daughter, which was so touching. It was one of the best birthdays ever.”

Although Daisy’s birthday wasn’t how she had imagined it, the friends she had made on the program and her host family made the day unforgettable.

“I am so grateful to my host family for everything they did for me,” she said, “and all the time we spent together.”