Ellis Hosts Australian Exchange Students
The Ellis School was delighted to host two Australian exchange students, Lily Sutcliffe and Teya Hardy, from St. Hilda’s School in Queensland as part of the International Exchange Program. Throughout their stay, Lily and Teya were paired with sophomores Annie Trimbur and Kay Fleischner. The visitors lived at their host's homes and shadowed them in classes to understand what it’s really like to go to Ellis and live in Pittsburgh.
Eager to experience a new city that is thousands of miles from their hometown of Gold Coast, Queensland, Lily and Teya had heard of Pittsburgh thanks to the popular reality TV show, Dance Moms, but didn’t know what to expect. “At first I thought Pittsburgh was really rural, and while there are a lot of trees, I found out that’s not the case,” said Lily. “It was great to be in a city that wasn’t Los Angeles or New York—being in Pittsburgh felt like we were experiencing more of the real America.”
Since they arrived after finishing their school term, Lily and Teya were able to completely immerse themselves in the Ellis experience and actively participate in classes. The ones that sparked their interest the most were two courses that aren’t available to them back home— Photography and Clayworks. And while they learned how to throw pots and develop film in the darkroom, Lily and Teya noticed something that stood out about Ellis, something different from their experience at St. Hilda’s. “At school back home, girls don’t really have friendships beyond their own grade and stick to their own group. At Ellis, it’s quite different because everyone is really close—it feels like a close community and sisterhood,” said Teya.
Lily and Teya also ventured off campus to accompany Kay and Annie on field trips to the Carnegie Museum of Art to view the acclaimed 20/20 exhibit and to Forbes Hospital to view and test the daVinci surgical robot. Outside of school, Lily and Teya traveled to Washington D.C. to see the monuments and visited different Pittsburgh neighborhoods, landmarks, and events to get a feel for the city. From Penguins and Steelers games, to seeing The Nutcracker and Lady Gaga, it was a trip that was full of memorable experiences that they’ll never forget. “I have loved my experience at Ellis. Lily and I know the girls coming here next year and we are excited to tell them all about it,” said Teya. “I definitely want to come back to the states.”
This March, Kay and Annie will take their turn as exchange students and travel to Australia to stay with Lily and Teya and study at St. Hilda’s School.
Envision Her at Ellis
If you're interested in exploring Ellis for your daughter, let's connect! Request information about enrollment, attend one of our upcoming events, or hear about Ellis from those who know it best: our students.
