After participating in the Quaker School Student Exchange Program this summer in Tasmania, Australia, Alper Cebe ’29, Bayan Katirai ’29, and Will Van Druff ’29 welcomed their host family members from Hobart Friends-Campbell, Jasper, and Len- to Wilmington Friends on Friday, October 30!

 

Campbell, Jasper, and Len have been on the move since their arrival! After celebrating Halloween at Alper’s house on Saturday evening by watching scary movies, they joined their hosts for classes on Monday, where they toured the upper school, enjoyed Chef Lisa’s delicious “chicken parm,” and visited local Quaker Meeting Houses with tenth-grade Quakerism classes. They also enjoyed breakfast with Head of School Ken Aldridge, where they talked about the similarities and differences between life back home and here, while also sharing their fascination with the many squirrels they have seen on campus.

 

Over the next three weeks, they will shadow their hosts to classes, advisory, athletic contests, and much more. They will also explore the surrounding area, with a trip scheduled for Philadelphia tomorrow, where they will visit the famous Reading Terminal Market.

 

The goal of the Quaker School Student Exchange Program is for WFS students and the students from The Friends’ School, Hobart, to experience another culture and region of the world within the familiar setting of a Quaker school. Students will hopefully see the commonalities among Quaker schools, along with the unique qualities each school offers. As Campbell noted, “During my time in Wilmington, I hope to gain experiences outside of Australian culture. To see how other people live, discuss different attitudes and opinions, and enjoy local food and arts. I am sure this experience will offer me more than I can currently imagine.”