54 OCTOBER 2018 By Rachael Bouley Grace Wanebo is a proud supporter of exploring foreign countries and cultures. After all, she left her life at Arcadia High School behind to spend her sophomore year in Ostia, Italy as part of an American Field Service (AFS) foreign exchange program. In the beautiful beachside town outside of Rome, Grace stepped out of her comfort zone and embraced a new home, school and language. Although it was a big move, she knew she was reaching for her goals, considering she had wanted to be an exchange student since eighth grade. “I wanted to do something challenging and adventurous besides going through the motions of regular high school,” Grace said. “I really wanted to learn another language and be able to converse with locals.” Although she had visited Italy when she was younger, what 12-year-old Grace experienced on her travels was much different than the reality of living and going to school in a foreign place with an unfamiliar language. Despite her initial nerves, she embraced the opportunity and settled into life with her host parents and three siblings, who encouraged her to practice her Italian. “My relationships with the people made me fall more in love with the country,” she said. “I remember the first day my host parents took me out to ice cream, and they made me order Gelato in Italian, which I could barely speak.” At the start of her journey, Grace knew the very basics of Italian, and she could exchange greetings and pleasantries. She would slowly but surely catch on to the language, and by the time her program was over, she surprised herself with how much she had learned, thanks in large part to her dedication and persistent practice with her teachers. “I remember this one moment in philosophy when our teacher was talking about Plato and Aristotle. Suddenly I realized I could understand what she was saying!” Despite understandable challenges, like nerves over not knowing the language and occasional homesickness, Grace would do it all over again in a heartbeat. She learned so much about her hosts’ ways of life, from their food culture — they don’t use knives at the dinner table and eat cereal from cups rather than bowls — to their nighttime rituals — they believed going to sleep with wet hair caused back and neck aches. “I gained a sense of how other people live around the world, especially because I was with a lot of international exchange students from Turkey, Indonesia and Romania,” Grace said. “It made me more empathetic and understanding of all cultures, as well as more flexible and open to change.” Since returning home, Grace has used this empowering and eye-opening experience to encourage others to challenge themselves and pursue their dreams of going abroad. She hopes to lend support to other exchange students studying in Phoenix, because she’s been in their shoes. “I know how difficult it is to be on exchange, so I want to help others because it’s easy for me to sympathize with what they’re going through.” She’s also sharing her cultural awareness with fellow students through Scottsdale Unified School District programs like UniTown, which allow her to talk about social and international issues. Grace plans to return to Italy to reconnect with her host family and friends, as well as pick up another language and study abroad again in college. Reflecting on her time in Italy, Grace has a message for fellow students that are considering studying abroad. “I would say to jump on that opportunity and do it, because the idea is daunting and scary at first, but you won’t regret it. It’s an incredible experience that will change your life for your better.” Arcadia student’s transformative exchange experience An amazing foreign exchange experience has inspired Grace Wanebo to promote cultural awareness. Desert Valley Pediatrics - Arcadia 4840 E Indian School Rd, #100, Phoenix, AZ 85018 623-877-PEDS (7337) • www.dvpeds.com M – F 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (Phones open at 8:00 AM) We do prenatal meet and greets! SPECIALIZING IN: • Newborns & Infants • Well Child Exams • Sports/Camp Physicals • Immunizations Arcadia QUALITY CARE • CONVENIENCE • REPUTATION Christopher Spiekerman, DO Ann Oland, MD Kristen Stanley, DO FLU SHOTS NOW AVAILABLE @dvpedsAR Call now to schedule same day appointment! T 3641 N. 56th Street, Phoenix • 480-945-9537 • www.popphoenix.org Northeast corner of 56th St. and Indian School Arcadia Music Academy Summer and fall lessons for all ages. We teach piano, violin, guitar, viola, cello, and voice! To register, call 480-945-9537 or email ama@popphoenix.org. Worship and Children’s Sunday School - Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Discover God’s Love for you this fall at Prince of Peace Join us for TRUNK OR TREAT at POP Preschool Family friendly community event Friday, October 26th, 6-10 p.m. Trunk or Treating, Music, Food Trucks, Photobooth! Wear your costumes and come have some spooky fun! Saturday, October 20 th , 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. – Free Admission The Women of the ELCA’s Annual Crafts and Baked Goods Bazaar!

55 OCTOBER 2018 By Elaina Verhoff Looking for a fun fall break activity for the kids? A brand-new, out-of-this-world play space is coming to Arizona Science Center! On October 6, the Cosmic Playground experience will make its debut, and it’s safe to say it will be unlike any playground you’ve experienced. First, it’s made almost entirely of household packing tape and was constructed by teams of community volunteers, with more than 300 people pitching in for the past several weeks under the supervision of the artist who designed this unique experience. The Cosmic Playground experience, which will be at Arizona Science Center through January 13, will give visitors of all ages the opportunity to climb, slide and explore the galaxy in three distinct space-inspired play structures — all while experiencing an array of cosmic light, sounds and motion. Kids and kids-at-heart can crawl through a tunnel of stars, slide into a wormhole and travel through a black hole. Fun elements can be found throughout the structures, including SPUN spinning chairs, Space Hopper bouncing balls, a Milky Way ball pit and plenty of spots to snap space-themed selfies. It wouldn’t be a Science Center experience without daily activities and demos, and Cosmic Playground is no exception. The Aspiring Astronaut Station will be manned by Arizona Science Center’s Blue Crew team of science interpreters, who will help bring space-related scientific concepts to life with hands-on experiments. When you go, remember to bring a pair of clean socks, because Cosmic Playground is a shoe-free environment. (If you forget, you can purchase a pair at the Science Center for $1 while supplies last.) And if you have friends and family with disabilities, be sure to include them in the fun, as the experience is ADA accessible. Tickets are available now and can be purchased at azscience.org or in person at the Arizona Science Center. Cosmic Playground tickets are $4.95 for non-members (adults and children) and $3.95 for members (adults and children) and Groups of 15 or more. General Admission is also required and is free for members, $18 for adults, and $13 for children (3-17). The experience runs from October 6, 2018 through January 13, 2019 and is located in the Center’s Sybil B. Harrington Gallery. For more: azscience.org. Cosmic Playground experience coming to AZ Science Center Over 300 volunteers helped build the Cosmic Playground, which is mostly composed of packing tape. Welcome Early Childhood Center invites you to an Open House Sunday, October 28 , 2018 12:00 to 2:00 PM Programs for children ages 3 - 5 Pre-School - 3 year olds (Full day or half day) Pre-Kindergarten - 4 year olds Kindergarten - 5 year olds Join us at the open house or call for a personal tour (602) 840-0010 Join us for Kindergarten Pumpkin Day Tuesday October 30, 2018 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM * view our Kindergarten Program in action * Decorate a pumpkin with our class Please RSVP to hchapman@stcs.us or 602.586.7490 to reserve a pumpkin Little Flower Early Childhood Center Saint Theresa 10:30 - 11:30 AM Phoenix, AZ 85018 www.stcs.us Kindergarten PUMPKIN DAY Tuesday, October 30 OPEN HOUSE Sunday, October 28 12:00 - 2:00 PM