There are quite a few international faces at CCHS, either ones that have been abroad and returned, or ones that are currently experiencing a year abroad in Jefferson City! Today, we’ll be talking with Ella Johnson. Responses have been edited for clarity.

Where did you go on exchange?

I’m from the US and I went to Colombia, South America. I was in the city of Tunja, in the state Boyacá.

How old were you?

I was 14 when I applied for RYE and turned 15 just before I left.

What was your school like, what grade were you in, and did you participate in any activities?

I went to a private catholic school. They had uniforms and their schedule was very different. Instead of having the same classes at the same time of day, every day, they had different classes every day. It was a 10-day schedule – so 2 weeks. The schedule repeated every 10 school days.

How was your social life? Did you make friends quickly, or was it more difficult?

Social life was pretty good, as a foreigner in Colombia everyone wanted to talk to me and be my friend at school. It was nice but everyone also stared at me the entire time I lived there because I looked so different than they did.

What was the most unique experience during your exchange?

That’s hard to decide. The local experiences are hard to beat. Just living there – doing things like grocery shopping, housework, walking around town. My trip to the Amazon rainforest was amazing as well- that was my favorite trip I went on.

Would you recommend more people to go on exchange?

YES! It is an amazing, difficult experience but provides a lot of growth opportunities.

If you are interested in becoming an exchange student or learning more about the process, scan this QR code and join our ROTEX seminars!