Most students look forward to the fall semester of their senior year for the lasts.

Last football games. Last pep rallies. Last homecoming.

But senior Alec Arbabi is trading in those lasts for a number of firsts.

First extended stay in a foreign country. First classes taught fully in Spanish. First friends from South America.

Alec is spending the fall semester of his senior year with his uncle, Roger Arbabi, attending The Columbus School in Medellin, Colombia.  Roger is the principal of the school specializing in U.S.-styled curriculum located in the valleys of Northwestern Colombia.

“My uncle moved here two years ago and I visited him over Christmas break in 2013,” Alec said. “And when I was here, he suggested that I should live with him and go to his school to have a new experience.”

Even though Alec is sacrificing Leopard traditions by studying in Colombia, he is positive about the new experiences he will have from his trip.

“Part of me is sad about missing the senior walk and football games and all the stuff Lovejoy seniors do, but missing a semester at home is really nothing compared to the experience I get to have here,” Alec said. “I’m still graduating with my fam, and I don’t think missing a semester will be a big deal really.”

It wasn’t that easy to plan a semester long hiatus from Lovejoy, but cooperation from both schools made this opportunity practical for his academic career.

“After a long time of thinking and working logistics out through counselors at both schools,” Alec said. “We figured it was best to come during the first semester of senior year. I was super-excited to have the opportunity, and it all worked out perfectly.”

Roger knows that this will benefit both his family and Alec. Roger is looking forward to seeing his progress as he participates in Colombian life.

“We are super excited to have Alec here,” Roger said. “He’s always been a great kid who I’ve enjoyed spending time with. I never thought I’d have another person living with us, but it’s been great. I think Alec has had a great time so far, and I’m really looking forward to him having the cultural experience that he couldn’t have in Texas.”

Not only will Alec be exposed to Spanish from living in Colombia, but also from taking classes taught in Spanish. The immersion isn’t complete as some classes are English-friendly.

“The school is English heavy, so my calculus, physics, history, and English classes are taught in English, but classes like PE, technology, and soccer are in Spanish,” Alec said. “I feel like I’m starting to learn Spanish, and that was one of the goals.”

Alec, after only a few weeks of adjustment, can already see differences between the culture at home and that of Colombia.

“The biggest difference I can see so far is the culture of Medellin compared to the Metroplex,” Alec said. “Medellin is in the valley with huge mountains on either side, and the 72 degree weather every day of the year drives people to be outside and do stuff all the time.”

Another interesting cultural difference is seen in the teachers at The Columbus School.

“All the teachers who work at the school are young Americans who have traveled and taught around the world, and the hikes I do are with my teachers,” Alec said. “So it’s a really cool feel at the school with young adventurous teachers. The kids are really nice and are happy to have a native English speaker in their classes since 98 percent of the school is Colombian.”

Spanish teacher Seth Sartain, weighed in on how this adventure will impact Alec by referencing his own experience with studying abroad.

“I started in high school the summer before my senior year I spent a month in Germany,” Sartain said. “Then my sophomore year of college I spent a semester in Spain, then my senior year of college I spent a semester in Cairo and a semester in Brazil after that.”

In looking towards the effects of this trip, Sartain expects Alec to grow more well-rounded as he becomes culturally aware.

“For sure he is going to see linguistic growth in his Spanish and, obviously, he is going to learn a lot about Colombian culture,” Sartain said. “The thing that always surprised me, and that I think I liked the most from coming back from one of those experiences is the stuff that you learn about your own culture. He is really in the thick of things right now,” Sartain said. “Seeing how they do stuff down there in terms of daily routines, but when he comes back he’ll see his own culture though a fresh set of eyes.”

Roger has a similar mindset to that of Sartain and anticipates a fresh perspective of the world for Alec.

“I hope this experience gives him the “travel bug” that so many people get at a young age,” Roger said. “I know he’ll have a great time, and I’m glad I get to go through this time of his life with him.”