Exchange students from all around the world came to Hackley this year as a result of Hackley’s membership as a Round Square school. Hailing from countries such as South Africa and Australia, each student spent between four and six weeks on the Hilltop during this school year.

Caitlin Dagher traveled to Hackley for a four-week visit last September. Living on the boarding corridor during the week, she immersed herself in all aspects of Hackley life, and even practiced with the Cross Country team. When asked about her experience, she said, “From the first day of my exchange, I felt I was welcomed into the community and that made it really awesome.” Caitlin goes to Ivanhoe Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia, a fellow Round Square school. “Being part of the Hackley community is probably what I miss the most out of everything,” she said.

In January, Anda Nyati joined the Hackley community for a month during her exchange from Dainfern College in Johannesburg, South Africa. Hackley’s South Africa Project was able to Skype with her and her classmates upon her return, which helped foster a relationship between Hackley and Dainfern for years to come. Junior Alex Gluckman, who is the South Africa Project’s President, said that “expanding and extending Round Square connections gives students chances to interact and connect with one another on more meaningful and fundamental levels.”In addition to Anda, students from Ghana, Argentina, and Japan visited Hackley at different times over the course of the school year. Hackley also welcomed students from Green Hills Academy in Kigali, Rwanda, who lived with Hackley students during their five-day visit.

Most recently, Natasha Mutulili came to Hackley on an exchange from Brookhouse College in Nairobi, Kenya. She commented, “An exchange is not an experience that one can describe but merely live it. To be part of one is to be part of a new family altogether.” Natasha spent the past three weeks living on Hackley’s boarding corridor, and immersed in all aspects of Hackley life.

Not only do these exchanges promote partnerships between Hackley and fellow Round Square schools, but they also provide the opportunity for Hackley to reciprocate, sending our students to schools around the globe. The future is only bright for Hackley’s Round Square and exchange programs, as many more exchange students will travel to Hackley next school year.