South Korean exchange students enrich Lynn’s Sacred Heart School

LYNN – Six foreign exchange students from South Korea are getting a taste of American culture and education at Sacred Heart School.The students arrived two weeks ago and are scheduled to attend classes until Feb. 15. They have been living with host families in Revere and Winthrop. In addition to getting schooled on weekdays, the six have traveled to Boston and New York for a look at big city life in the U.S.”I saw the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building,” said Su Hyeok Chae, 14, referred to by his classmates as Stan. “I liked it very much.”Mins Soo Kim, 12, also known as Aiden, had a similar experience. “New York has big buildings and the Statue of Liberty,” he said. “I like bowling and baseball, inside, in batting cages.”Each exchange student is paired with a buddy. Stan is with John Huynh, Aiden with Majak Wol.The others, and their buddies, are Jeong Hong, a fifth-grader known as Michael and paired with Aedan Leydon; Sang Min Ahm, known as Pollo and paired with Sean Godbout; Dong Hyuk Son, a sixth-grader called Tom and paired with Elias Bakar; and seventh-grader Seong Junee Cho, known as June and paired with Alex Bogomolov.The students, who attend classes daily at Sacred Heart, are part of the six-week International Student Exchange Program, which affords them an opportunity to experience educational and cultural studies in the U.S.Principal Joanne Eagan said the main focus and goal of the program is to provide Korean students with a global mind, help them experience life in America and better prepare them for the future as international citizens.”This is the first year we have tried the program at Sacred Heart,” Eagan said. “It has been a really great experience and our kids are so excited. We have had fathers call with offers to take the visiting students to museums and other events.”Eagan said the exchange of ideas has been two-way. “They were nervous when they arrived, but their class buddies were waiting and within hours they had blended in. The students and their buddies have been really good for each other.”The principal said cultural differences emerged over home food budgets and showering. “The students told us that in Korea, the rule is 10 seconds of water in the shower, then stop it while you lather up, then 10 seconds more until you’re done. You don’t run the water the whole time,” she said. “And when it comes to food, the average home budget is $30 a week. They don’t buy the amount of groceries we do.”Eagan said the students – in grades 5, 6 and 7 – don’t miss class and are driven to Sacred Heart by members of their respective host families. “Next year, we plan to do it again and find host families in Lynn who are parents of Sacred Heart students.”