Living on your own and attending a university is a big decision, which is why 2012 graduate James Lenihan didn’t rush to complete college applications in his senior year at WHBHS. Currently James is living in Ecuador, and enjoying his yearlong exchange experience, which has proven to be the best choice of his life thus far.
Q: How did you decide to go on foreign exchange after H.S? And what influenced you?
A: I decided to go after high school because I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in college. When my dad graduated his high school in Ireland, he didn’t know what he wanted to do either so he spent the next two years of his life traveling and exploring in Europe. This was a major influence in my decision.
Q: How are you progressing with the language?
A: In WHB, I was already extremely proficient at Spanish and now that I am here I can comprehend just about everything and speak excellent. Everyone is very interested in a student from New York, so I always have someone to talk to!
Q: What has been your most memorable moment?
A: I love the beach here; very often I skip school to go to the beach with my family because they have a house at the beach. I hope the best experience I will have is when I get to go to the Galapagos for about a week and a half. I absolutely cannot wait.
Q: What do you plan to do when you return from your exchange?
A: I plan to go to Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. I want to enter a business field and the university has one of the best food marketing programs in the country. You get to travel with this degree, and the job opportunities have a lot of international business. So hopefully I get to do that.