The Barcelona exchange students arrived in Cincinnati on August 8, 2025, and will leave on Saturday, September 13. The students include Claudia Roche, Marcel Fabregas Roig, Sofia Geraghty, Abril Porras, Jana Martinez, Roberto Porres, Ines Estebanez, and Xiana Exposito. The exchange with Barcelona has a long history between Cincinnati and the Catholic Sister School Sagrado Cor de Jesus, Collegi Casp in Barcelona, Spain. Students used to travel to schools in Columbus, Cleveland, and Chicago, but in recent years, the students wished to attend McNicholas because of their previous experiences with the community.
The students from Barcelona expressed interest in becoming exchange students in the United States because it was always their dream to experience what they saw in the movies. Estebanez said, “It’s always been a dream of mine since I was little to be in a high school like in all of the movies.” Martinez shared that she made the decision to be an exchange student to “get to know new people and experience English and learning new things here.” Others made the decision because they heard positive feedback from students who had previously been in the exchange program to McNicholas.
McNicholas High School’s exchange program began in 2018 as an opportunity for students to come to the United States. The main purpose, according to Spanish teacher, Mrs. Tracey Canisalez, is “to create lovers of the Spanish language, cultural aficionados, and world travelers.” Canisalez added, “It’s incredibly rewarding to see the families come together and the lasting bonds of friendships that are made by the exchange.”
Although their experiences have been mostly positive, there are a couple of things about the United States that they have not enjoyed. Estebanez said, “I think that there is a lot of junk food here that we don’t have. There are not many healthy options, so that has been difficult for us.” Exposito said, “I have not enjoyed going by car everywhere. We’re used to mostly walking and using public transportation.”
The exchange students have said they have enjoyed all the events and people so far in the United States and at McNick. Porras said that she has really enjoyed the people “because they are so nice and welcoming with us, and plan so many activities for us to do all together.” Geraghty said, “We’ve been waiting for the football game. I’m really excited!”
The McNicholas Milestone 