“I loved being an exchange student, because it was something that I always wanted to experience. It was one of the best things that happened to me,” said Mariel Frías.
From March 26 to April 8, 10 students from The Carmen School in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic experienced life and classes at Masters. During the week, the students attended various classes, sampled different after school activities and went on trips off campus to New York City.
Robert Fish, Dean of Global Studies, said that through the exchange program “we want both students [Masters students and El Carmen students] to have a realistic appreciation of each other’s cultures and the diverse ideas the students in each country hold. Through the discussions and exchanges, we wanted all of the students to hear different ideas that we usually get to hear. Of course, we also wanted all to have fun and develop an interest in each others’ countries and cultures.”
He continued, “The excitement around meeting people from other places and hearing the ideas of the students from El Carmen have been positive aspects of the program. The fun had by many was also very positive, and getting a better understanding of the culture of the Dominican Republic. Since I hosted the teachers in my apartment, I had a chance to learn a lot more about life and schools in the Dominican Republic. Our students studying Spanish also got many opportunities to speak Spanish.”
Keira Burgos ‘24 got to do exactly that (improve her Spanish) by hosting an exchange student named Naomi Cáceres Feliz. Burgos said, “My entire family speaks Spanish, so we thought it could be fun to work on our Spanish, get to know someone who speaks the same language and get out of our comfort zone. I’m really glad we ended up doing it. At home, we did a lot of cooking and a lot of bonding. She taught us how to make Mangú, a traditional Dominican dish, and taught us so much about her and her life.”
Cáceres Feliz reflected on her time as an exchange student. “My relationship with Keira was incredible because she’s kind and a beautiful person. I never felt like a stranger when I was with her. I love New York because it is such a beautiful city. My favorite memories from New York were when we went to Chinatown, Madame Tussauds, and Times Square.”
Cáceres Feliz explained how different New York and her home in the Dominican Republic are from each other. “People in New York have more freedom because they can love who they want and be whatever they want. In the Dominican Republic it’s complicated because we have a lot of taboos and our families are so religious. I’m in a public school, and I can say that we don’t have similarities with Masters because we have to wear a uniform, wake up early, we can’t use jewelry, hair dye and curly hair is perceived as an ugly type of hair.”
Another exchange student, Yenny García, shared a similar viewpoint. “I don’t know a single similarity between the Dominican Republic and New York. In New York there is a lot of respect for the law, and in the Dominican Republic there is not. In the Dominican Republic, if you go out in your pajamas people will look at you badly. In New York, there is no such discrimination, nor do they judge you for expressing yourself freely.”
As their time in New York was coming to an end, the students attended a farewell party hosted by the Latinos Unidos. García described how she felt leaving New York. “I felt bad, I cried a lot. Although I wanted to go home, I didn’t feel like leaving Masters.”
Cáceres Feliz said, “This exchange was beautiful for me. The people at Masters are so kind and if I could repeat this opportunity I would do it.”
