From Texas to France and back again: Three Spartans trade places, homes and cultures in a summer exchange with Lycée La Sauque.

Three St. Stephen’s seniors and two French exchange students huddled outside Temple Upper School, quietly discussing what to do on their final night together. Check out the shops on South Congress? Stroll the Boardwalk at Lady Bird Lake for scenic sunset views? Eat one last meal at … Chick-fil-A?

One would hardly expect that visitors from France, with its world-renowned cuisine, would choose fast food for their final dinner in the United States. But as students from St. Stephen’s and Lycée La Sauque learned this summer, cultural immersion is full of small wonders, and teenagers everywhere appreciate good fries.  

Just after the school year ended in May, three St. Stephen’s rising seniors departed for three weeks as the first official group in the school’s exchange program with Lycée La Sauque, a private high school outside of Bordeaux, in southwestern France. When St. Stephen’s kicked off the school year in August, the Class of 2027 instantly pulled two visiting La Sauque students into the fold for four days — giving them a crash course in 12th grade Spartan traditions. 

The St. Stephen’s seniors participating this year were Drew Bonner, Maddie Jones and Jenna Thomas, all Class of 2027. In late August, La Sauque students Blanche Gerardin and Coline Belle arrived in Texas for a three-week stay. 

The exchange program has long been a dream of Julie Ronquillo, Chair of St. Stephen’s Global Languages Department and a native of France, as a way to encourage French language studies with an exciting Upper School travel opportunity. Before joining the faculty at St. Stephen’s, Ronquillo had already toured La Sauque and connected with their exchange program coordinator, Sharima Leclercq.

The St. Stephen’s administration was enthusiastic about the idea, and in 2025, Ronquillo suggested testing out the exchange program to Nora Caselli ’27, who was searching for a way to study in France for the summer. Her parents, St. Stephen’s instructors Colleen Hynes, Ph.D. and Chris Caselli ’82, were on board.  

“We could see that this was a perfect match for St. Stephen's,” said Ronquillo of Nora’s experience. Like St. Stephen’s, La Sauque has a religious foundation and a diverse community of international boarders and day students who learn in small classes on its peaceful, pastoral campus.

With Hynes’ assistance, Ronquillo spent last fall planning the summer 2026 launch of the first full exchange program. To be accepted, students must have enrolled in French IV and commit to studying French the following year, with priority going to 11th graders. Though they do not receive academic credit, St. Stephen’s students can earn service hours for assisting in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses while in France. Selected students interview with Ronquillo and Hynes, and then with Mme. Leclercq. 

“There is a lot of coordination that takes place following the interviews, as it is very important for us to set all students up for success,” said Ronquillo. “We want them to have common interests and passions to help develop strong ties with their international peers.”

The 2026 exchange students all agree: the preparation pays off.

“I think it’s super important to start talking to the person before arriving,” said Belle (in French), She and Thomas communicated frequently on Instagram before Thomas came to stay with her family in Bordeaux. Gerardin concurred, saying she and Jones exchanged “beaucoup, beaucoup, beaucoup” WhatsApp messages before Jones joined her at La Sauque and her family home. 

Thomas, who didn’t consider herself well-traveled before entering the exchange program, felt comfortable making the international trip. “It almost felt seamless because you knew who you were going with,” she said of her first visit to France. “It wasn't like you were being dropped into nowhere with whoever.” 

During their first week in Bordeaux, the students attended school at La Sauque. While classes were much longer than they were used to at St. Stephen’s, La Sauque students also had more leisure time. “After school, we're all just hanging out,” said Jones. “We're all talking, we're all walking around, we're enjoying the campus.”

Bonner and Jones boarded at the school and took part in many aspects of La Sauque’s residential life. A member of St. Stephen’s Chrysalis Dance Company, Jones performed at La Sauque’s talent show and learned a cheer routine for the school’s rugby match. Bonner "tried out as much as [he] could," playing rugby, basketball, tennis and volleyball. And he learned that goofing off is universal. "Some of my most fun memories at the school were the pranks that took place," Bonner said.

During their free time, the St. Stephen’s students went sightseeing around Bordeaux, admiring the classical and neoclassical architecture of the UNESCO World Heritage Site city center, known as the “Port of the Moon.” One of Thomas’ cherished memories is attending a local rugby match with Belle’s father. Bonner's host family took him to the sand dunes on the Bay of Biscay.

Weeks before Jones flew to France, she started planning activities for Gerardin’s visit. Belle stayed with Hynes’ family, as well as with Sarah McBride ’27. The French students explored the capital of Texas and the Hill Country, eating barbecue at the famous Salt Lick, swimming in the crystal clear waters of Blue Hole and visiting the charming town of nearby Wimberley.

“And we tried many fast foods!” added Belle. In addition to Chick-fil-A, the French students happily ticked off an impressive list: P. Terry’s, Shake Shack, Raising Cane’s, Pool Burger, even some lobster rolls. 

“It's really awesome, almost like experiencing Austin for the first time through them, and seeing their reactions to everything,” said McBride of her time with Belle and Gerardin. Belle told Thomas and McBride that everything seemed different, from the way classes are structured to how the roads are constructed. She especially liked the yellow school buses so common in the United States, but almost nonexistent in France. 

All the students, some of whom were friends at their home schools before the exchange program, and some who were less familiar with each other, became closer as they relied on one another to help navigate the foreign countries and host their guests.  

Jones acknowledged that being so far away for so long can be tough at first. “And maybe it's going to be hard for all of the three weeks,” she said “But [the benefits] were so clear to me after I came home. I would accidentally say things in French, I would think in French.”

Thomas added, “especially if you don't travel much, it can be a little scary to go [abroad] alone. But I think Mme. Ronquillo and Dr. Hynes had our best interests at heart. In my opinion, I found a best friend in Coline. And it was just the perfect family for me.” 

Thomas also feels “like a different person” than she was before participating in the exchange program. “There’s such a growth of character that comes out of these experiences,” she said.

"I would highly recommend the trip for anyone applying, truly one of the most unique and insightful experiences of my life," said Bonner.

Students and parents interested in the Lycée La Sauque exchange program for summer 2027 can contact Julie Ronquillo (jronquillo@sstx.org) and Colleen Hynes (chynes@sstx.org) for more information. Applications are expected to be considered during the late fall and winter terms.