Connecting with other human beings is what Hebert said she loves most about serving in another country, which can have a lasting impact on students.

“You may ask yourself, ‘What is the history that matters?’” Sloan said. “I would say it’s the history that’s across from you. My hope is that you will put people across from you that are quite different from you and seek to understand and learn from their experience.”

“I think in high school, a lot of girls’ experiences with dance was competitive culture. We really try to encourage a positive environment here. We want to build each other up as a team and encourage each other in our walks with Christ,” Sexton said.

“We are more similar than different if we can get into conversation with each other,” Baesa said. “One of the goals for this program is how can we get back to these conversations — hopefully face-to-face conversations — and how can we get back to hearing who we are as people.”

“I would say that these traditions really [are] what builds our strong sense of community here at Brooks,” Henry said. “We’re always experiencing life together, and it’s really sweet to see.”