Local students share their American Exchange experiences
For the second time, graduates from Benjamin Logan High School participated in the American Exchange Project (AEP) … and this year they convinced students from Bellefontaine High School to join in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
AEP sends high school seniors on a week-long trip to someplace in America. The main stipulation is that the community they visit is completely different from what they’re used to. It’s an unforgettable opportunity, and it’s all 100 percent free.
The Examiner had a chance to chat with three of the BLHS travelers, who shared their adventures in states from three distinctly separate parts of the country— Oregon, Pennsylvania and Florida.
For Kate Hahn, who plans to study costume design at Wright State this fall, visiting Grants Pass, Ore., gave her a chance to immerse herself in the natural beauty of Crater Lake and the Coast Redwoods. She even touched the Pacific Ocean, though it was too cold to jump in.
“We went whitewater rafting on the last day, and I’ve never done that before,” Hahn said. Earlier in the trip, the family she stayed with took her to the Shakespeare festival in Ashland, Ore., to watch The Merry Wives of Windsor. Seeing the work of a professional theatre had a significant impact on the future costumer.
Tyler Barnes, who shares Hahn’s interest in theatre, ended up in Gettysburg, Penn. His trip also gave him a chance to finally visit Washington, D.C. His class had to cancel their eighth-grade trip there in 2020 due to the lockdown.
“It was cool going somewhere that had a richer history, but I was afraid it would be all battle stuff,” Barnes admitted. Still, he heard from a woman who descended from slaves in the area during the Civil War. Her passionate commitment to sharing the history of her family was particularly inspirational.
Barnes will head to La Crosse, Wisc., this fall to earn a bachelor of fine arts degree in musical theatre at Viterbo University.
The third student, Hailey Kennedy, got to spend her week in Naples, Fla. Her trip including kayaking through mangroves, a shelling boat tour and swimming every day.
Still, she stated, “It’s not like a vacation. It’s better than a vacation. I got to experience what Florida has to offer and not the touristy parts.” Kennedy intends to study occupational therapy at Rhodes State College.
Sally Stolly, director of administrative services as Benjamin Logan Local Schools, helped coordinate the students traveling from the area as well as the 13 who came from around the country to visit Logan County. Her husband, Henry, a business teacher at BHS, managed the Bellefontaine part of the project.
While here, the visiting students saw a Holland Theatre show, the Ohio Caverns and Marmon Valley Farm. They also toured En Gedi Ridge Zoo and the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada.
Several area businesses made these excursions possible, including Middlefield Bank, Bellefontaine Rotary and Kiwanis clubs and Questest Federal Credit Union.
All three students admitted the project was entirely about getting to know other students and community members from different parts of the country.
“It’s not what you’re doing there,” Hahn concluded, “but it’s the people you meet and the experiences you have with them.”
For Kennedy, the trip brought a realization.
“I don’t think the world is as divided as we think it is. Everyone was willing to share and hear what the person beside them had to say.
“It’s an experience I couldn’t swipe my credit card to get.”
Three of the 10 Benjamin Logan High School graduates who participated in the American Exchange Project this summer shared their experiences over coffee at Sweet Aromas in Bellefontaine. They are, seated from left, Kate Hahn, Hailey Kennedy and Tyler Barnes. Standing are the project group leaders Henry Stolly, Bellefontaine High School, and Sally Stolly, BLHS. (EXAMINER PHOTO | SHARYN KOPF)
The 2025 American Exchange Project saw 14 area graduates visit other parts of the country, while 13 students came from other states to see Logan County. The group is pictured here at the Honda HALO wind tunnel in East Liberty. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
