Quince Orchard High School Hosts French Exchange Students for a Week of Culture, Connection and Unforgettable Memories

Quince Orchard High School (QO) recently welcomed students and teachers from Lycée Louis Casimir Teyssier in France, continuing a decades-long, pen pal and cultural exchange tradition led by French teacher Rebecca Yu. For years, students in QO’s French 4, 5 and Advanced Placement classes have exchanged messages with their French peers, building relationships that often blossom into in-person visits and lifelong friendships.

The visiting students spent a week fully immersed in American high school life. They shadowed their QO pen pals in classes, explored Washington, D.C. and experienced daily routines with host families—from trying new foods to attending their first-ever high school football game. A joint field trip to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and Georgetown was a highlight, with several students calling it one of the best days of their lives.

Students on both sides described the exchange as eye-opening and transformative. QO student Caitlyn said the experience helped her see cultural differences in a new way: “Even if you don’t fully know the language, the point is to learn, so you can ‘Franglish’ your way through life. You think everybody goes to high school and football games, but in France, it’s so different. And that’s just one country. It’s so interesting to learn about how we all live so differently yet so similarly.”

For many QO students, the exchange has become a defining part of their high school journey. Maddie, who has participated twice, said the experience “changed me so much for the better.” She even wrote her college essay about the program and continues to stay in close contact with her French pen pal. “I have a lifelong friend in France, Agathe, who hosted me last year. [She] is coming to visit next week!” she shared.

QO student Hannah, participating in her third exchange, echoed the lasting impact: “You meet such incredible people. It’s not just about learning French; it’s about learning about the world.”

Though students began the week shyly greeting one another at the airport, the departure was filled with hugs and tears. This experience not only strengthened the students’ French skills, it expanded worldwide views and created new friendships. Several students even hope to travel to France next year to reunite with their pen pals. All of the students wished the visit lasted longer. 

Yu says these exchanges are the most impactful part of QO’s French program: “This is why we learn languages — to be able to communicate with others, build relationships across cultures and countries, and broaden our perspectives.”