Sidwell welcomes back rising seniors Andrew Gorman and Chloe Son this year, who both spent parts of their junior year studying abroad. Gorman and Son’s return marks an important transition for them as they reintegrate into campus life for their last year of high school, carrying firsthand insights from new classrooms and cultures.

Sidwell offers semester-long courses abroad and yearlong study programs in Rennes, France; Viterbo, Italy; and Zaragoza, Spain. The programs combine experiential fieldwork, language study and travel to help students build meaningful connections with international communities, offering a more personal perspective than traditional classroom courses alone.

 Gorman participated in the High Mountain Institute (HMI) semester program in Leadville, Colorado. The experience combined academic coursework with outdoor education, including backpacking and skiing in the Colorado wilderness. Gorman said the biggest adjustment to the experience was the difference in food culture. With limited meal options and no off-campus dining, it took time to adapt. Although he acknowledged the camp food was “tasty” and the occasional “town days” offered breaks, Gorman shared that he missed restaurants from back home. 

Gorman said that the people were the highlight of his experience. 

“Everyone was insanely nice and wanted to be there,” he said, adding that making friends was easy,  and he is still in touch with most of his classmates from the semester.

HMI’s close access to the Colorado mountains meant that Gorman could participate in several outdoor activities and complete coursework related to the outdoors. 

The semester was split between backpacking trips and classroom work. A course on snow science, for example, coincided with a snow camping trip, allowing students to observe concepts firsthand. “It’s nice to take what you learned in a classroom and see it in real life,” Gorman said.

Gorman’s transition back to Sidwell started in May, when he returned from HMI. So far, Gorman has reconnected with Upper School Principal Robert Gross and most of his teachers to prepare for senior year. He’s currently preparing for the first day of school to transition back to his life at Sidwell and reunite with his friends. 

“I’m excited to come back with new perspectives,”  he said. Gorman said students weren’t allowed to keep their phones during their semester at HMI, meaning he did not have one while doing schoolwork. He added that the policy helped him develop good study habits and manage his time, a skill he hopes to carry forward.

Son spent her junior year in Viterbo, Italy, living with a host family and immersing herself in Italian language and culture. Similar to Gorman, the hardest part for Son was adapting to a new environment. Adjusting to a completely different language and culture was particularly challenging for her. 

“Obviously the language barrier was pretty hard, but with time and a lot of help from my host family and teachers, Italian became easier,” Son said. 

Her host sister helped her pick up both language skills and cultural norms, such as adjusting to life without air conditioning in the summer. 

Son was able to explore outside of Viterbo as well, visiting Naples, Sicily and Venice. She said those trips were experiences she would not have had without her year abroad.

Son added the highlight of her experience was meeting new people and forming friendships with both American and Italian students. She said that attending Italian classes a few times each semester gave her a chance to compare Italian high schools with Sidwell and expand her circle of friends.

There, she bonded with other American students because of how they “were thrown into an unknown environment together.” She added that she met some of her best Italian friends from these classes as well, and they did not mind the language barrier.

Son said the friendships she formed during her year abroad will last a lifetime, and she still keeps in touch with all of them. She was recently in Los Angeles and had the chance to reunite with two of her friends, something she said is one of the best parts of being back in America. 

“It definitely makes it all the more worth it when we do have the chance to meet up instead of calling or FaceTiming,” she said.

For Son, the transition back to Sidwell also began this summer. In Italy, they had “a decent amount of work,” but also an open campus, free periods and no athletics. For Son, this allowed for ample time after school to “explore the city, visit Italian friends and spend quality time with our host families.” 

At Sidwell, however, Son says there is a more challenging workload that makes free time harder to come by. For both Son and Gorman, the relationships they made with other students, teachers and host families were the highlight of their experience, and the most valuable thing they have taken home with them. Both seniors would like to encourage other students to take advantage of any global learning opportunities that come their way. 

“A study year abroad provided me the opportunity to travel and see the world and grow as a person,” Gorman said. “I met some of the best people and had some insane experiences that I can’t even explain. I would 100% recommend this experience. “It’s the best decision I ever made in my entire life.”