The beginning of the school year is chaotic for everyone as students adjust to new classes, meet new teachers and face new challenges. Fall sports start up again while clubs try to get their bearings. The first test comes around, the first leaf begins to turn, and, before students know it, Thanksgiving break rolls around the corner. Autumn is a difficult transitional period for everybody, but those with the biggest leap to make are West High’s exchange students, adapting not only to another year of school, but to life in another country — students like junior Ava Muench and sophomore Aleix Pi de Cabanyes Navarro.

The 2025-2026 school year will be World Languages Curriculum Lead Lauren Farrelly’s third in the Parkway School District. While Farrelly is the Seal of Biliteracy Coordinator, she is also the Exchange Program Lead.

“The applications run through my office, and I check to make sure the requesting students meet our Parkway International Exchange guidelines. If they meet the requirements, I then check with the principal at the school [of] the host family and we make sure there is enough space to accommodate the exchange student,” Farrelly said.

In addition to ensuring that all exchange students comply with Parkway International Exchange guidelines, the Parkway International Exchange Advisory Board also meets to evaluate potential exchange programs looking to place students in the district.

“Once an organization is vetted and approved by the advisory board, they begin to accept students for placement and to vet host families in our district,” Farrelly said. “Once [exchange students are] approved, [they] begin arriving at the start of the school year and can choose to stay for one semester or a full school year.”

One such student is Pi de Cabanyes, who hails from Madrid, Spain.

“[I did the exchange program because] I wanted to live the experience and practice my English,” Pi de Cabanyes said. “[When I first got to America], I thought everything was like a movie. The neighborhoods, the yellow school buses. I didn’t expect it to be that much like a movie.”

Living here, Pi de Cabanyes has noticed many differences between life in Madrid and in St. Louis.

“Madrid, especially the part where I live, is designed for people to walk. I went to St. Louis, and it was all roads,” Pi de Cabanyes said. “I like Madrid because we have big parks, [where] you can just walk, and I think it’s more beautiful.”

Although Madrid and St. Louis are distinct, Pi de Cabanyes hasn’t had much difficulty adapting to life in Missouri, joining the soccer team and adjusting to life with a host family. Because he attended a bilingual school in Madrid, he hasn’t had trouble with English either. 

“The culture is pretty different [and so are] the rules of [my host’s] house, but it’s been fine,” Pi de Cabanyes said. “The house is much bigger. We have to [do] a couple more chores, like taking the compost out [and] mowing the yard. I lived in an apartment in Madrid, so we didn’t have to do any of those things.”

Since Pi de Cabanyes arrived, he has been staying with the Pinkard family, who have a history with the exchange programs. This will be the fourth year of hosting exchange students for Karen Pinkard, mother of freshman Darian Pinkard and senior Kendra Pinkard. 

“Meeting the kids [is my favorite part] — getting to learn about their culture, their traditions, [their] everyday life in their home, family, country — and then trying to bring a little bit of that into our own family. We now have traditions that we learned from our previous students that we still do every year,” Karen Pinkard said.

Pi de Cabanyes isn’t the only one finding a new home at West this year. Another exchange student is Muench, from Remagen, Germany. Unlike Pi de Cabanyes, this was not Muench’s first time in the United States. She toured the country in 2022, visiting from New York to Washington and from California to Florida.

“My first impression [of America] was that the people are much [nicer] and [more] polite. They’re just comforting. They’re interested in you, and they bring that across very [well]. In Germany, they’re pretty harsh and not always in a good mood,” Muench said.

On the trip, Muench visited various tourist destinations, which inspired her to come back and navigate everyday life in America. 

“I looked up stuff [on] how to come back [affordably], [and] I thought maybe an exchange would be nice,” Muench said.

Eventually, Muench found a scholarship through the German and U.S. governments that would pay for the entire exchange. Like Pi de Cabanyes, Muench has also noted some differences in life away from home.

“Food was a big [difference]. I think that’s [different] with every country, [but] maybe in Europe it’s a little less [so] from country to country. I like most of your food, but it’s very greasy, and it’s like eight portions. In Germany, you have whole foods and not as much fast food,” Muench said.

Muench has been staying with sophomore Chloe Reis, who encouraged her to join the cross country team.

“It’s kind of like having an extra sister. We watch shows together and hang out,” Reis said. “It’s interesting to learn about a different country and fun to meet another person.”

This is the exact kind of interaction Farrelly looks for: an exchange — of culture and of perspective.

“My favorite part of the program is seeing the true cultural exchange between our Parkway students and our exchange students,” Farrelly said. “Cultural competency is something that we value in Parkway, and the program opens doors for that competency to develop in real time.”

For Muench, it’s been easier adjusting to her host family than to school.

“School was kind of hard [at first] because I understood people talking, but I have one class where the teacher speaks very fast,” Muench said. “I’m really glad about my [host] family here because they’re kind of similar to my family in Germany, so it was easy adapting into that lifestyle.”

However, Muench had some trouble navigating closely-knit social circles.

“I love [the friends I have now], but it was hard kind of fitting into [a group of] people who’ve known each other for their whole lives,” Muench said. “I’m very thankful that they took me in. It [was] really hard not [knowing] all the stuff they [were] talking about at first, but they’re very nice, so it’s not as hard as it could be.”

In addition to practicing English and experiencing American culture, Muench and Pi de Cabanyes are also searching for something more.

“Obviously, [I hope to take away] a new family — because I’m [going to] spend a year with [the Pinkards] — and new friends. [When I go home, I’ll miss] my life here,” Pi de Cabanyes said.

Despite May seeming a lifetime away, eventually fall becomes winter, and winter becomes spring. Though one day Muench and Pi de Cabanyes will leave the building for a final time, they take with them new relationships, perspectives and independence. 

“[I hope to take away] a wider picture of the world and [to understand] people’s attitudes about things that are different in Germany than [they are] here — getting that perspective,” Muench said. “Also, [I value] knowing that I can do stuff on my own. Now that I’m here, of course, I have [an] awesome family, but I have some stuff that I have to do myself, so getting that [independence is important] so [I] know [I] can rely on [myself] when there [are] problems, even [if I] have that support.”

Although their stay is temporary, there is no doubt that West’s exchange students exemplify the motto, “Once a Longhorn, always a Longhorn.”