The Sacred Heart Network Exchange connects students across the globe


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In the 2023-24 academic year, over 30 Newton Country Day students traveled to 11 countries through the Sacred Heart Network Exchange program. Students attend another Sacred Heart School abroad for three to four weeks with a host sister, who reciprocates the visit to Newton Country Day. The school maintains Exchange relationships with approximately 19 other schools in the Sacred Heart Network, allowing students to travel to countries such as Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, France, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, and Taiwan.

Maggie Sullivan '25 attended Colegio Sagrado Corazon Apoquindo in Chile and immediately created a lasting bond with her exchange sister Mathilde. "Being part of the same Network, I saw the same relationship between students there that I do here. Everyone is very close and cares a lot about each other, and it's very interconnected," she explained. "There's something universal about Sacred Heart friendships."

Although Abby Goodman '25 had concerns about traveling internationally by herself for the first time, she asked herself, "When else will I get the chance to go to Australia?" and took the leap. She traveled to Melbourne to attend Sacre Coeur Glen Iris, where she immediately noticed foundational similarities to Newton Country Day. "Sacre Coeur has similar traditions, like having their own version of Blue/Silver Induction. It was clear that it was a Catholic, Sacred Heart School with shared values." She became fast friends with her exchange sister after bonding over their shared love for school, reading, and history.

Also wanting to step outside of her comfort zone, Izzy Lucibello '26 ventured to Austria for an exchange at Gymnasium Sacre Coeur Vienna. She recalled attending an event with the nuns who live in the convent attached to the school, where she and several other Network Exchange students discussed and shared traditions from their home schools and compared them with Gymnasium Sacre Coeur's. She also shared that participating in the program has inspired her to travel more: "I don't feel restricted whether I'm traveling alone or not. Now I feel like I can go anywhere, thanks to my experience in Austria."

With hopes to experience a culture vastly different from her own in the US, Alexandra Bradley '25 traveled to the International School of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo, Japan. Being the only exchange student at the school, Bradley was able to partake in activities that allowed her to fully immerse herself in Japanese culture. "I was a bit worried about being the only exchange student at first," she admitted. "I felt that I had a reputation to uphold and that there was a bit of pressure. But after connecting with my exchange sister and forming relationships with other students at the school, I realized that I had nothing to worry about."

When reflecting on the success of this year's Exchange cohorts in a post-COVID year, Exchange Program Director Cole Stephenson shared: "The Exchange team worked to deepen Network relationships and school partnerships, and we sent off a wide age group of students, many of whom had to defer during previous years' travel shutdowns. It provided over 30 of our students with life-changing experiences in encountering the world and fostering friendships for a lifetime."



LAURA KELLY IS THE DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST AT NEWTON COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL, A SACRED HEART SCHOOL IN NEWTON, MA, EDUCATING GIRLS IN GRADES FIVE THROUGH 12.