This summer, a group of Gilman boys and faculty had the opportunity to take a fourteen-day Spanish language immersion trip to Argentina.

First, the students flew into Buenos Aires, where faculty gave a quick explanation of the trip before they were transferred to their homestays by bus. Jackson Armacost ‘26 explained, “The homestays were the places we stayed while we were there. It was typically with an elderly couple or a family, mostly without kids or anybody else in the house. We lived with them for two weeks.” The homestay hosts were incredibly generous, feeding the boys breakfast, dinner, and occasionally lunch.

The majority of the days were a mix of school and fantastic sightseeing. Students took the bus system and subway to classes and other activities, helping contribute to a complete cultural immersion. Jackson recalled one of the highlights of the trip being a visit to the Recoleta Cemetery, which hosts many famous Argentinians, saying, “We saw a lot of big names there.”

Other highlights included visiting the Argentina Juniors football stadium, where Maradona first played, as well as going to “una estancia,” which is a cattle ranch. The group was also able to experience some of the native cuisine, trying chorizo, steak, pork ribs, and empanadas. In fact, they even attended an empanada cooking class.

Inside Buenos Aires, the boys visited Chinatown and “La Boca,” a neighborhood of brightly painted houses and home to the Boca Juniors, one of the most famous soccer teams in the country. The group even paid a visit to San Telmo market, one of the world's largest indoor markets, and tried alfajores, a traditional Argentine pastry cookie. Rohan Jari ‘27 told the News, “The trip was an unforgettable experience filled with amazing sites and countless memories. The mix of sightseeing and being immersed in the Argentine lifestyle and culture added to the experience as a whole and significantly improved my Spanish.”

All in all, Gilman students had an extraordinary time in South America, not only exploring what Buenos Aires has to offer but also developing their language ability. As the immersion trips continue in the future, we are excited to see where the language department chooses to visit next!