Sister Cities: Students from Czech Republic explore Owensboro, region

Karah Wilson, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·4 min read

Oct. 25—Students from Olomouc, Czech Republic left Tuesday morning after spending 10 days in Owensboro, as well as surrounding areas, to explore the culture and community.

This trip is part of the High School Exchange program through Owensboro Sister Cities and Regions.

In 2023, students from Owensboro will travel to Olomouc to spend time with the same students and their families. The local students are those whose families hosted the Czech students this year.

Terezie Dubova said that the experience was better than what she anticipated.

"It's been really great, we've had a great time," Dubova said. "All of our program was really, really good."

For Helena Jenikova, she appreciated her host family and their time together.

"It's just different," Jenikova said. "You guys have huge places that are empty, which is not like the Czech Republic at all. Usually our buildings are right next next to each other. You have larger areas and less people."

Marketa Valentova said she will be telling her friends and family about Holiday World.

"I feel like we don't have rollercoasters that are that big," she said. "For the first time it was scary, but then I enjoyed it."

Izabela Heczkova said she would recommend the exchange program to anyone eligible.

"You can talk about it but you have to experience," she said. "It's different when you're involved."

All of the students said they are excited to show the American group around Olomouc when they visit next year.

"People keep asking me whether it's still attractive for me to come here if I know the place, and it definitely is," said Frantisek Brauner, a biology and chemistry teacher at the Gymnazium school the Czech students attend in Olomouc. "I like it here, there is always something new."

All of the students who visited Owensboro have Brauner as a teacher.

"When we're here, it's different," he said. "I'm not a teacher here, I'm a friend. I can help them with whatever they want."

Some of the places Brauner said he likes to visit when he is in the area is Land Between the Lakes, Owensboro Health, Wendell Foster and downtown Owensboro. This was Brauner's fifth trip to Owensboro through the program.

Brauner also stays with a host family while he is here and said he does not have to worry about the students when they are with their host families because he knows they are safe.

"When we meet and we have the program together, it's always interacting with my students and asking them how their day was," he said. "I ask about what they experienced, what they had for dinner, if it was different or the same."

The Gymnazium school is a bilingual school where all the subjects are taught in English, Brauner said.

"The situation in our school is different as we have more applicants than positions open," he said in regards to the exchange program. "This year we had 21 students that wanted to come and only eight positions were available. The most difficult task for me is to choose eight students."

Kelia West, treasurer and high school coordinator for Owensboro Sister Cities, said it's a good cultural exchange to show the similarities and differences between the countries.

"When they come over here, we can show them that we aren't much different from you, but we are different," she said.

West said Owensboro has been a sister city with Olomouc for 30 years.

This was Leigh Ann Tipton's first year opening her home to an exchange student. She visited the Czech Republic through the Sister Cities program in 1996, which was one of the first groups.

"It's kind of come full circle to be a host family and have my kids involved," she said.

Tipton and her two children, Ren and Cadence, hosted Jenikova.

Sara Hemingway, who is in her third year as a host, said the Czech students are "the cream of the crop."

"It's as simple as taking them to Chick-Fil-A and Target," she said. "That's like the holy grail. They've all assimilated into our family very easily and they're all so gracious."

Hemingway and her daughter, Cece, hosted Valentova.

"Giving them the opportunity to have a different perspective about life is one of my favorite parts," Jill Leigh said. "Students here get very oriented and focus on what's just here and there's so much more out there."

Jill and Ross Leigh hosted Julie Piechova with their daughter, Ashton, this year. This is the third year the Leighs have been a host family.

Jill had met Piechova's mother when she previously visited Olomouc with her oldest son and West during a Sister Cities' trip.

Piechova's family hosted Jill during that time.

"The students aren't tourists but to us they're family," Ross said.

Cadence, Cece and Ashton will be going to Olomouc next year as exchange students and all three girls said they are excited to visit and learn more about the culture in the Czech Republic and experience the differences.