Bridging Cultures: Our Unforgettable Exchange at Annie Wright Schools

We had the great privilege of participating in the Global Alliance exchange program of 2025. Us 6 students from grade 9 had the opportunity to become global ambassadors and travel to Tacoma, WA, in the United States. Annie Wright's school community, including the coordinator and host families, welcomed us with open arms.

On the first day of school, we got settled into the school by the coordinator and got given some uniforms of the school including a tie for the boys and skirts and ribbons for the girls, as well as the school sweater worn by all students. We then got an orientation around the whole school and got to know how the school functions and its expectations. This orientation showed us the difference in our schools mainly regarding the campus, schedule and student life. 

The campus is split into two main buildings but has a more cohesive environment compared to WIS. Additionally, there is a new academic building that features many appealing amenities, including an arcade available to students during breaks and after school hours. The schedule differs significantly from ours, with classes starting at 9:00 AM and ending at 3:15 PM. Despite the later end time, we found the schedule manageable.

There are numerous afterschool clubs and seasonal sports available to all students. The after-school activities are particularly engaging, with various clubs that attract many teenagers and students due to their interesting offerings. The school also organizes many external excursions and trips to different countries.

The student life was one of our favourite aspects of the school. All the people were very welcoming and easy to talk to. We didn't feel out of place and were all really grateful for all the friendships we made and the new people we met. The school is also a boarding school which makes it feel at home with facilities like its cafeteria, a wide variety of music and band opportunities etc. Overall the school morale was really positive and all the staff and faculty ensured that students were excited to come to school. 

We also got the opportunity to attend their annual grade 9 camp at the Cispus learning center which is a camp in the American Forest. This three-day camp was really fun and allowed us to get to know all our peers and new friends on a deeper level which is something we all enjoyed. 

Looking back, this amazing opportunity to not only study abroad but also experience new cultures and form lifelong friendships was filled with memories we’d never thought we would make beforehand. All these memories are truly bound to stay with us for a lifetime. We encourage all students who get this opportunity to apply as this was truly memorable. We want to say thank you to our coordinator Ms. Swapna for organizing this for all of us and to all the parents and hosts for providing us with this life-changing experience,

Ondeya, Jessica, Aaron (Grade 9)