“I think this school needs [The Foreign Exchange Circle],” co-vice president Sophia Kerr said. “Being with and interacting with foreign exchange students exposes you to the outside world. I never thought I’d be a part of a club like [this].”
During the 2023-2024 school year, two foreign exchange students from Thailand founded the Foreign Exchange Circle (FEC). What began as a source of community for the exchange students soon blossomed into a place of acceptance, friendship, and unity among students. Encouraging students to explore outside perspectives, the FEC provides an opportunity to share and embrace cultures across the globe. Along with Kerr, president Nicholas Culbertson and co-vice president Theo Marquez have led the club into its second year, hoping to recruit new members and have another successful year.
As a native Brazilian, Marquez personally resonated with the challenges many foreign exchange students face when adapting to life in the United States, fueling his passion for the club and its mission to create an inclusive community.
“I’m from Brazil, and when I first moved here I had trouble finding people that could…[help] me adapt to the U.S.A.,” Marquez said. “With more people in the group, [exchange students] can feel like… they have a family [here].”
As the key objective of the FEC is to introduce students to different cultures and educate them on their traditions, the club hosts a multitude of events throughout the school year to celebrate various traditions.
“We do a lot of fun games and activities related to cultural…or international events,” Marquez said. “Last year, we had the Songkran, which is a Thailand holiday that celebrates the new year in Thailand. It’s a water gunfight.”
Along with Songkran, co-vice president Kerr shares that the FEC hosts various other cultural events during their weekly meetings.
“We’ve had potlucks [and] we’ve all gotten together for karaoke,” Kerr said. “We’ve done dance parties where we choreograph in different groups and have a dance competition based on every culture.”
The purpose of these functions is not only to bring foreign exchange students and their peers at the school together, but to encourage all students to embrace their heritage.
“The Foreign Exchange Circle is important because we want to make sure that people learn about different areas of the world,” Culbertson said. “We want to send a message: Embrace your culture and where you’re from.”
The club offers educational and interactive activities, along with social opportunities that create a sense of community for all students.
“Our goal…is to learn about each other’s cultures and have a few good laughs along the way,” Culbertson said. “[The FEC] is a chance to meet amazing people from around the world,… eat amazing food, and have fun. Our club is open to every DSHS student.”
Kerr specifies that the FEC’s openness has fostered lasting connections among affiliated students and has opened the eyes of many of its members to global experiences they might not have otherwise been exposed to.
“There are different clubs for everything, but not one that totally brings everyone together,” Kerr said. “Most of these kids haven’t traveled outside the U.S. and it gives everyone a new perspective. I think it [is] truly rewarding overall to hang out with someone different.”
Culbertson, Kerr, and Marquez intend on having another successful year of the Foreign Exchange Circle, committed to upholding the club’s founding goal of making a space for community and cultural exchange for all students.
“I always carry with me a little Brazil flag in my bag to remind me of my origin, my culture,” Marquez said. “Everyone is unique in their own way. Every single country, culture, and story is very important. It’s a part of you.”
