Exchange students sent home due to Covid-19 outbreak
Editor's Note: Jade Brard was a member of the Eagle Times newspaper staff while she was a student at BEHS. She had hoped to finish out this year with us but was abruptly sent home to France on March 26. She will, however, continue to file stories on her experience while online learning is still in session.
BY JADE BRARD
March, 2020
I left France last Aug. 27 at 7 a.m. I remember leaving my home country with fears and questions: how will my host family be? Will I make friends? How will be Auburn, Maine? Yes Auburn, Maine. My journey before coming to Bonny Eagle High School was not smooth. My first host family let me down. I stayed with my local coordinator before finally finding the perfect match here at BEHS.
On Sept. 2, I started shadowing my host sister and started studying as a real student on Sept. 5. To be completely honest I hated every moment of the first week. I was lost, nobody talked to me, and I felt stupid every time I was talking. My life at home was not better. I missed my family, I did not know how to be part of my new family, I did not even know how to get along with my host sisters.
Now that I am reflecting back, I can gladly say that I had one of the best school years. The first couple of months were hard because I did not understand everything; I had to work really hard to improve my understanding of American values and how people interact with each other. Nevertheless, as more time passed, everything seemed easier, almost natural, like I always lived here. Everything was so natural that I forgot that I would have to go back to my home country one day.
In March, the coronavirus began to get more and more important in Europe and America. To protect their students, Greenheart, the agency that supervises us, decided to send its students back to their home countries. This is why from March 26 to March 27, I had to fly back to France (from Portland to Newark, New Jersey. Then from Newark to Frankfurt, Germany. And then from Germany to Paris).
I'm writing this as I wait for the day to come when I have to leave. By the time I am back in France I do not think the situation will be good. Already, nobody is allowed to go outside unless there is an extreme emergency, and people are quarantined in their house. The President chose to close the border to all the countries and consider more severe actions if the situation does not improve under 30 days.
Since Greenheart’s announcement, I have felt really angry at them. On top of ignoring my decision and my college’s decision of staying here, they are lying to us saying that all exchange students on the territory are traveling back to their countries. After asking some of my friends who are traveling with another company, I became disillusioned by the fact that they do not have to leave. Anger and deception reinforces that they make my flight between four airports when my mom and sister are at-risk patients and that I could contaminate them.
Having to leave so soon is painful when I have still so much to see and experience. But when I am looking back at what I did, I know that I am leaving with the best memories that I could have. I will remember how much people are different from one country to another. In France, people like to say that we turn more and more into Americans but we have two totally different cultures and ways to live, and I think that I will remember that the most. I really hope that I will be able to bring some aspects of my American life into my French life. And I know that I will miss so many things from here like school, my host family, my friends and my teachers. I made wonderful friendships and met so many amazing people for which I am so thankful.
Thank you Bonny Eagle for letting me grow and have one of the best years of my life by your side.
I will never forget you.
BY JADE BRARD
March, 2020
I left France last Aug. 27 at 7 a.m. I remember leaving my home country with fears and questions: how will my host family be? Will I make friends? How will be Auburn, Maine? Yes Auburn, Maine. My journey before coming to Bonny Eagle High School was not smooth. My first host family let me down. I stayed with my local coordinator before finally finding the perfect match here at BEHS.
On Sept. 2, I started shadowing my host sister and started studying as a real student on Sept. 5. To be completely honest I hated every moment of the first week. I was lost, nobody talked to me, and I felt stupid every time I was talking. My life at home was not better. I missed my family, I did not know how to be part of my new family, I did not even know how to get along with my host sisters.
Now that I am reflecting back, I can gladly say that I had one of the best school years. The first couple of months were hard because I did not understand everything; I had to work really hard to improve my understanding of American values and how people interact with each other. Nevertheless, as more time passed, everything seemed easier, almost natural, like I always lived here. Everything was so natural that I forgot that I would have to go back to my home country one day.
In March, the coronavirus began to get more and more important in Europe and America. To protect their students, Greenheart, the agency that supervises us, decided to send its students back to their home countries. This is why from March 26 to March 27, I had to fly back to France (from Portland to Newark, New Jersey. Then from Newark to Frankfurt, Germany. And then from Germany to Paris).
I'm writing this as I wait for the day to come when I have to leave. By the time I am back in France I do not think the situation will be good. Already, nobody is allowed to go outside unless there is an extreme emergency, and people are quarantined in their house. The President chose to close the border to all the countries and consider more severe actions if the situation does not improve under 30 days.
Since Greenheart’s announcement, I have felt really angry at them. On top of ignoring my decision and my college’s decision of staying here, they are lying to us saying that all exchange students on the territory are traveling back to their countries. After asking some of my friends who are traveling with another company, I became disillusioned by the fact that they do not have to leave. Anger and deception reinforces that they make my flight between four airports when my mom and sister are at-risk patients and that I could contaminate them.
Having to leave so soon is painful when I have still so much to see and experience. But when I am looking back at what I did, I know that I am leaving with the best memories that I could have. I will remember how much people are different from one country to another. In France, people like to say that we turn more and more into Americans but we have two totally different cultures and ways to live, and I think that I will remember that the most. I really hope that I will be able to bring some aspects of my American life into my French life. And I know that I will miss so many things from here like school, my host family, my friends and my teachers. I made wonderful friendships and met so many amazing people for which I am so thankful.
Thank you Bonny Eagle for letting me grow and have one of the best years of my life by your side.
I will never forget you.