Lasting friendships made on Transatlantic exchange

Head Boy Daniel Craik was initially nervous to go on the trip, but was taken aback by how welcoming the community of Laurinburg was. "It does feel like we’ve got a family across in America now," he said. 

Another student, Megan Hart, added: "I made connections for life with the people I went with and the people I met." Her exchange student, Sara, is Native American and Megan got to learn about the Lumbee tribe while staying with her and her family. "It was amazing getting to speak to them and understand their culture," she said.  

During their stay, many of the Oban pupils enjoyed going to different sports events and at one American football game they got to experience a ’tailgating’ party in the parking lot where they tasted banana pudding - a classic southern dessert - for the first time.

Kieran Griffin, a keen football player was particularly taken aback by the sporting skill on show and his exchange student took him to see a Carolina Panthers game. He is now planning on studying at an American college after High School and will be taking his SAT’s next year with the hopes of getting an offer to play soccer and study sports management. 

The exchange was set up in 1993 through an agreement between the Rotary Clubs of Oban and Laurinburg, and hundreds of students from the ’sister cities’ have taken part since.

To thank Oban Rotary Club for their annual support of the trip, the Oban High School students invited them to a coffee morning on Tuesday December 3 where they shared photographs and stories. 

Oban High School teacher Aisling Clark is heavily involved in the exchange and with seven members of her own family having participated in the exchange, she has witnessed first hand how it can bring people together.

For her son, the trip was the start of his very own love story as he is now engaged to a girl he went to Laurinburg with in 2011 - Business Studies teacher Hollie MacLeod.

Aisling wants the trip to be accessible and open to every student. She said: "If anyone thinks they can’t afford it they should come and speak to us and we will support them to go.”