Running along South America’s coast, Chile is a country rich in natural beauty as well as culture. From the driest desert of the world, the Atacama, to the icy glaciers of Patagonia, Magdalena (Magda) Escalona brings a piece of Chile here to Analy High School as an 11th grade exchange student. Now that she’s been here for over a semester she’s learned a lot about America during her journey and she has gained new insights about Chile. Magda speaks Spanish since it’s the official language of Chile, as well as English. During this remarkable journey Magda wants to improve her English. She says that a typical school day in Chile is much different than our school days. Magda’s school in Chile starts at 7:30 am, then lunch is at 2:00 pm, and the school day ends at around 4:30-5:00 pm. Back home, she lived with her parents and two older sisters. Some foods she misses from Chile are Empanadas de Pino and Completos. Before she returns to Chile she would love to visit the states of Utah and Arkansas. Magda’s favorite school event so far has been the football games. For activities, she has been volunteering at Ceres, a non-profit organization that prepares meals for people with serious diseases like cancer or diabetes. She’s also an amazing photographer, I’ve enjoyed seeing her work in our photography class. Aside from her many hobbies and interests, Magda is hoping to study history in the future. If you’d like to participate in this exciting opportunity to study abroad in another country then look for more information from The Rotary Youth Exchange Program.