'Another World' Comes To JCA

Lauren Finaldi, a Spanish teacher at Joliet Catholic Academy, remembers her trip to Spain as a high school student. And the impact of that trip has remained a poignant memory for the Naperville resident.

“When I was a high school student in the 1980s, I had the wonderful opportunity of participating in a short-term exchange program to Spain,” Finaldi said. “The unique experience of traveling with your teacher and a small group of classmates to a foreign land was completely life-altering for me.”

It was that type of experience Finaldi hoped would be the end result of having JCA families host 11 exchange students and their teacher from Barcelona, Spain. They were on campus from Sept. 4-15.

After arriving on a Sunday and attending a barbecue, the Barcelona students participated in a Labor Day parade. Trips to Chicago and Brookfield Zoo were included, as well as a trip to White Fence Farm and a night of bowling. The students attended mass at St. Raymond Cathedral and held a Fiesta on Sept. 9.

“I am so happy JCA has been open to hosting this great group of students, and they have touched our lives in so many positive ways,” Finaldi said. “My trip shaped my life in a positive way, and from there on out, it has been a goal of mine to bring this wonderful experience to as many students as possible.”

Two JCA students, Naperville’s Malin Jones and Shorewood’s Julia Malinowski, could attest to Finaldi’s sentiments.

“I had a great time,” Jones said. “I really enjoyed Miquel. He was one of the best English speakers, so that made it easy on me. He learned a lot about us and I learned a lot about him. Like their schools are much, much smaller. He saw our hallways and said, ‘It’s just like in the American movies.’”

“It was definitely a cool experience, Malinowski said. “We found out that kids from Spain are the same as us. They listen to the same music and have the same problems, especially with boys. It was two weeks, but it flew by so fast, and it was a great chance to learn about another part of the world.”

Each exchange student was paired up with a JCA student and their family. They were:

• Plainfield’s Jessica DeLaVergne, her parents Jason and Tammy, with Judith Adiego Perez.
• Shorewood’s Katelyn Gannon, her parents Kelli and Shaun, with Maria Palcios Marti.
• Joliet’s Nolan Hucek, his parents Doug and Beth, with Gerard Birlanga.
• Naperville’s Malin Jones, his parents Earl and Dolores, with Miquel Alvarez.
• Plainfield’s Michelle LaViola, her parents Margaret and John, with Patricia Plan Novella.
• Shorewood’s Julia Malinowski, her parents Laura and Dan, with Paula Hidalgo Herrera.
• Joliet’s Sidney Munch, her parents Tammy and Robert, with Maria Villarubias Abiac.
• Shorewood’s Carley Serena, her parents Joseph and Heidi, with Maria Del Mar Luuch Orriols.
• Joliet’s Jasmine Smith, her parents Marc and Jennifer, with Anna Gene Orriols.
• Plainfield’s Stephanie Tillman, her parents James and Mary, with Maria Gonzalez Rodriguez.
• Shorewood’s Colleen Quinn, her parents John and Alex, with Laura Cardona Roca.