El programa de intercambio españoles fue un éxito.

In other words, the Spanish exchange program was a success.

However, being the first ever Spanish exchange program atLangley, there were concerns at the beginning. The LHS Foreign Language Department was almost forced to cancel the exchange due to a lack of host families. With ten Spanish and American students, the girls to boy ratio was quite uneven. There were just two Spanish girls, and  three American boys.

“This was a challenge, because we wanted to match everyone up evenly,” said Senora Prell. However, the hospitality offered by the host families helped everyone feel welcome. The age differences were also not a problem. For example, junior Katie Moody was paired with Oscar, a 13-year-old. “I wouldn’t have [wanted] anyone else. He was basically my little brother,” she said.

The exchange trip itself was also a success. The students had get-togethers in host families’ homes, went laser tagging, visited Tysons and watched a movie, and touredWashingtonD.C.The Spanish students’ adventures aren’t over yet. Yesterday, the students took a bus fromLangleyto visitNew York Cityfor three days.

The Spanish teachers and administration are hopeful that this exchange will be the start of a tradition atLangley. They are considering some changes to the program in the future, however. Instead of exchanging withSpain, they may exchange with another Spanish-speaking country.