Over the winter break, you will find Winchendon students all over the map. Whether it is going back home to spend some time with family, going on family vacations, or going to visit a friend in a different country, they are everywhere. One trip we would like to highlight is junior Haley Brandon going to visit a new place for her, Vietnam.
Back in April of 2023, one of Haley’s good friends, senior Kathy Nguyen invited Haley to go with her back to Vietnam over the long Christmas break. Haley had always wanted to go to Asia and this invite was the perfect opportunity. Haley mentions that she had the opportunity to explore some pretty cool places and things during her time in Vietnam. She spent two full weeks in Hanoi, two days in Saigon, and three days in Phu Quoc.
Haley was asked what her top highlights of this trip were. Haley said,” Going on a boat to explore Hoa Long Bay. Also, I loved visiting Ngoc Son Temple. The building is absolutely beautiful and very historic. Getting to try all of the different cuisines, my favorites were the Banh Mi and egg coffee. And exploring the old town of Hanoi. That area of the city was very busy and a lot was going on. That area also has a lot of beautiful French architecture that dates back to the 1800s.”
Haley has been at The Winchendon School for three years. She has felt she has made the right connections to be able to do something extraordinary like this trip. Haley was asked, “Do you think that Winchendon has helped you make the right connections to be able to do something like this?” She responded, “Absolutely! Before I came to Winch, I was super shy But once I got here, I started to open up and have since had the opportunity to make friends from all walks of life. Kathy and I met last year when we roomed next to each other and ever since we’ve been inseparable. Thanks to Winch, I have built connections with people from all over the country and around the world.”
Haley found Vietnam to be very different from the United States. She found Vietnamese life to be fun yet different from her life here in Massachusetts. Haley stated, “Vietnamese people aren’t very used to seeing foreigners So whenever I would go out, I would often get stared at a lot and have people come up to talk to me. I would often have children and even adults come up to me and try to have a conversation with me in English, which was very sweet. It’s also not uncommon to have Vietnamese people ask to take photos with you. All of this stuff may seem a little strange to most Americans but it was all done with good intentions.”
To say the least, Winchendon has brought the connections to be able to do something incredible. The friendships created here will last a lifetime and bring on unthinkable opportunities. Haley is just one example of a student who has represented relationships made at Winchendon.
Written by Abby Stone ’24
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