By Becca Robb | Echo
Claudia Patino, Andre Toral, Paulina Sempertegui, Juan Sempertegui, Juan Malo and Fernando Martinez are visiting Taylor for just under a month
Six students from Ecuador are visiting campus this month as part of a cultural exchange program with Taylor's partners in Cuenca, Ecuador.
The program, Discover '16, is a product of Taylor's partnership with Azuay University and Verbo Church in Cuenca, sponsored by the Spencer Centre for Global Engagement.
The students are taking four ESL classes along with audited classes in their majors. Though these classes aren't counted toward credit, participant Paulina Sempertegui said she applied to gain the experience.
"It's better because we're going to learn English," Sempertegui said. "It's very different from the way we live in Ecuador."
In Cuenca, the students live at home with their families. Sempertegui said the Azuay campus has a gym and library, but most students can find anything they need in the city, so they generally only use the campus for studying and attending classes.
Since arriving at Taylor, the students have visited local churches, gone shopping at Walmart and attended a dinner hosted by the Latino Student Union.
"(The dinner) was very funny, because for us to say hello to other people in Latin America we say hello with a kiss, not with a handshake," participant Fernando Martinez said. "So, finally, we met new people from Latin America and hugged them. . . . It's like, oh wow, finally."
The program strives to give students an opportunity to advance their English skills, study in the United States and learn more about Taylor and its community, according to Spencer Centre Director Charlie Brainer.
Since its inception, approximately 500 Taylor students have taken part in the Ecuador Semester Program, where students study abroad with Verbo and Azuay University.
"Everyone involved in it has worked really hard to make it a strong relationship, and this is a cool added part to it where we've sent hundreds of students down there to them," Maddy Trudeau, graduate assistant to the Spencer Centre, said. "Now they get to start sending students here. It just gives a new dimension to the relationship with Ecuador that's really interesting."
Discover '16 is in its first official year, though two Ecuadorian students visited Taylor last year on a trial run. The cost for students includes a participation fee along with international airfare. The students arrived on Feb. 20 and leave March 17.
