Tallwood High School’s Spain Delegation arrived in America on December 1st. They experienced the culture, spirit, and diversity that Tallwood and Virginia provide.

The delegation went on multiple field trips and participated in activities such as touring the Virginia Beach Aquarium, painting a Tallwood parking spot, attending a basketball game, and visiting local middle schools.

All delegation members found something to enjoy in the activities they participated in. “My favorite part was the basketball game,” said Diego Gomez, a senior delegate from La Senda, a bilingual school in Getafe, Spain. “My favorite was the aquarium,” added Sofia Jimenez, a senior delegate from La Senda.

These activities allowed hosts and delegates to learn how different their schools are. “They don’t have any sports, any clubs, any extracurriculars, any electives, they don’t have that,” said Inaissa Sylla, GSWLA (Global Studies World Language Academy) Tallwood senior and Spain delegation host. “We don’t have the spirit you have here in school,” added Jimenez.

Teachers noticed a difference in education as well. “Security is more lax… doesn’t use ID cards to get into the building… if a teacher is absent, students just don’t have class that day… their school is more about content-based subjects,” said Matthew Denvir, Tallwood English teacher and delegation host.

America and Spain contrast in more ways than education. Hosts and delegates noticed distinct differences regarding food and behavior throughout their stay. “Their culture is a little more aggressive than I expected, not like physically, like emotionally,” said Sylla. “The amount of food you eat, you eat really heavy amounts of food, it’s crazy,” added Jimenez. 

Despite some differences, members of the delegation enjoyed their time at Tallwood. “The school is great,” said Gomez. 

The delegation’s departure saddened friends they had made. “I was very sad. I cried at the airport,” said Jenna Hentrich, GSWLA (Global Studies World Language Academy) Tallwood senior and Spain delegation host. The Spain delegation left Thursday, November 8th.