Each year, UPrep invites a select group of students from schools worldwide to visit and live with host families in Seattle. During the 2023-2024 school year, students visited from Shin Min High School in Taichung City, Taiwan, Žiburio Gimnazija School in Prienai, Lithuania, and Kirkkonummi School in Kirkkonummi, Finland. On April 16, 2024, UPrep welcomed the inaugural visit of French students from Collège Lycée Saint-Pierre School in Saint-Brieuc, France.
Junior Sophia Spagnola hosted French student Alpaïde d’Assignies.
“I am taking French class, so that is definitely something that made me want to host,” Spagnola said. “I’ve also been to France and I absolutely loved it. I heard about this from Brian and how this is going to be like the first visit from France, and I was like, that sounds so exciting, I want to learn more.”
d’Assignies is in tenth grade at Collège Lycée Saint-Pierre and it is her first time in the United States.
“I wanted to go to Seattle because it’s very far and I thought it would be very interesting to discover a new culture,” d’Assignies said.
During her time in Seattle with Spagnola, d’Assignies noticed many differences between American and French schools.
“At school, the relationship between the professor and the students is closer, which is interesting,” d’Assignies said.
d’Assignies and Spagnola made the most of their time together and saw many attractions around Seattle.
“We went to the Seattle Aquarium, Wings Over Washington, and Pike Place Market, which was fun,” Spagnola said. “We also baked cookies, played Just Dance, and went bowling.”
Sophomore Connor Walsh hosted French Student Anthony Lecorguillé.
“I wanted to host because my family really likes hosting students from other countries,” Walsh said.
Lecorguillé is in ninth grade at Collège Lycée Saint-Pierre and like d’Assignies, it is his first time in the United States.
“At my school, we have three trips, one to Spain, one to Germany, and one to Seattle. I picked Seattle because I have already been to Spain and I don’t speak German, I prefer to speak English,” Lecorguillé said.
During Lecorguillé’s time with Walsh, he visited many places around Seattle.
“We went to Pike Place Market and MoPOP. We also went to the mall as well,” Walsh said.
The French Students’ visit was the last international student visit of the year. Collège Lycée Saint-Pierre is planning to send students again next year, and UPrep students will visit Saint-Brieuc, France in the spring of 2025.
