Four fresh faces joined the halls this past Wednesday, Oct. 25, with visitors’ tags plastered to their shirts and members of the E-Board by their side. 

Kristupus Blazys, Cameron Branagh, Chloe-Jean Parsley and Tristan Long were those four faces – students of Culford School who were offered the opportunity to shadow here all the way from their homes in East of England. 

“It was an option given by the school to come to America, as a cultural experience, and we were just told we were going to a high school and shadowing some people with similar interests,” Long said.  

 Their trip began six days prior to their brief visit at school, a period of time they filled with tours of Ybor city, regional food, exploring the Everglades and swimming with manatees – not to mention the much-anticipated trip to Disney they would take on their eigth day in Florida. 

 At school, they shadowed students, observing the American education system and commenting on the difference in experience. 

 “It’s been amazing,” Parsley said. “I have really enjoyed it, but it’s just been so confusing, since it’s like loads of people in one grade and in our school there are like eighty in one year.” 

 They commented mostly on the noticeable difference in dress code, classroom structure, teaching style and the absence of “Saturday School”; upon their return, they will each write a report about what they encountered abroad. 

 However, some are curious as why our school, out of all the high schools in America, was selected for their shadowing program. 

 “I think it’s because it’s close to where all of us are staying with our host families,” Branagh said. “It’s a well-respected school as well.”  

 While their stay is projected to last 11 days, they won’t be missing any school at home for their trip coincides with a “Mid-term” break as they approach the end of the first quarter in England as well.  

“We’re the only ones who signed up for it I believe because there was quite a high fee, and it’s nice that it was a small group,” Long said. 

 Their voices, and accents, could be heard at the end of the day by all on Wednesday as they made the afternoon announcements over the intercom.  

 Unfortunately, the Culford students were unable to return for a second day at school as planned but perhaps in the future we’ll have the pleasure of hosting more again.