As she steps off the plane, Evelyn Elias, junior, smiles with excitement. After spending hours in the air, she has finally arrived in France. However, she’s not going on an ordinary summer trip–she’s headed to school. Elias was part of a small group of students chosen to participate in KHS’ French-American Exchange program (FRAME). The program pairs Kirkwood students with students from Notre Dame de Bellegarde, a school in Lyon, France. The Kirkwood participants hosted their French partners last April, introducing them to American lifestyles. In June, they stayed with their partners in France, attending school with them while being immersed in French language and culture.
Anna Kalfus, French teacher, created FRAME alongside former French teacher, Cindy Koehler, in 2018. She said participating in the program requires lots of preparation and responsibility starting months before the first leg of the exchange.
“Once the students have been interviewed and accepted, [we begin preparing] in the fall semester with monthly meetings,” Kalfus said. “[We want to] make sure that [students] feel confident, [so] we do some extra language and culture practice [during the meetings].”
Elias said she had planned on applying for FRAME since middle school when she learned about the program, and her hopes became a reality when she was accepted last school year. She said she didn’t know what to expect before her French partner, Ambre Montorfano, came to St. Louis, but the nerves faded quickly after her arrival.
“I was kind of nervous at first because I didn’t think St. Louis [was] that interesting compared to France,” Elias said. “But [Montorfano] was awed [by] everything I showed her. We went to a Cardinals game, Union Station and we also tried a bunch of American food.”
Penelope Keplinger, senior, also participated in the exchange. She said she loved exploring Lyon with her partner, Artemis André-Fourli, and Paris with her fellow Kirkwood classmates.
“We went into Lyon, went shopping and saw some sights,” Keplinger said. “One weekend, [we] went and saw some old towns around Lyon. [We] did [the most] sightseeing in Paris. We saw the Eiffel tower, the Louvre, all the classics.”
Keplinger said while she loved exploring Lyon and Paris, the most interesting part of the experience was learning and adapting to the small, everyday parts of life in Lyon.
“My favorite part of the trip was having dinner with [André-Fourli’s] family and just chatting,” Keplinger said. “It was a learning experience. They would correct my [French] grammar in the nicest way, and I got to learn new words and phrases.”
Kalfus said her favorite part of the trip was talking with each student about their individual experiences, and what they liked or disliked about the trip. She said she saw the exchange impact students in a wide variety of ways.
“I see a real build of confidence, both in language and even outside [of that],” Kalfus said. “It’s sort of like this growth of oneself.”
Apart from the personal and linguistic growth that FRAME provides, Elias said the biggest impact the program left her with was the amazing memories, and her relationship with her exchange partner. She said she will look back fondly on the experience for the rest of her life.
“We really became good friends, and I kind of have a lifelong friendship now, so that’s amazing,” Elias said. “[FRAME is] something that I’m never going to forget.”
