This summer, eight students traveled across borders, stepped into unfamiliar cultures and formed friendships connecting Corpus Christi with two of its international sister cities: Agen, France, and Yokosuka, Japan.

The 2026 Sister Cities Student Exchange gave four Corpus Christi students the opportunity to represent their community abroad. Mia and Lylah traveled to Yokosuka, while Kaitlyn and Bruno traveled to Agen. Later in the summer, Corpus Christi welcomed Aozora and Mao from Yokosuka and Chloe and Zoe from Agen, allowing our community to return the same hospitality.

More than a summer trip, the exchange gave students the opportunity to experience everyday life in another country, learn directly from a different culture and discover how much people from different parts of the world can have in common.

What Is the Sister Cities Student Exchange?

Corpus Christi’s Sister Cities program strengthens international relationships through cultural, educational and community exchanges. Its student exchange program brings that mission to life by giving young people the opportunity to experience another country as more than tourists.

Students stay with host families, participate in local activities and spend time with students their own age. Through those experiences, they gain a personal understanding of the community’s traditions, daily life and culture.

Each student also serves as a young ambassador for their home city. They share their traditions and experiences while helping build relationships that can continue long after the exchange ends.

Corpus Christi Students Travel Abroad

This year, Mia and Lylah represented Corpus Christi in Yokosuka, while Kaitlyn and Bruno traveled to Agen.

Although their destinations were thousands of miles apart, all four students shared a similar experience: leaving home, adjusting to a new environment and becoming part of another family and community.

Experiencing Yokosuka, Japan

In Yokosuka, Mia and Lylah experienced Japanese culture through their host families, local students and the city itself.

Their time in Japan included opportunities to visit local schools, meet community representatives and explore historic and cultural destinations, including Kamakura. They learned about Japanese traditions and experienced differences in food, transportation, school life and everyday routines.

Some of the most meaningful moments came from simply spending time with their host families and Japanese buddies. Whether sharing meals, exploring the area or learning how another family lives, those everyday experiences helped turn an unfamiliar country into a place filled with familiar faces and lasting memories.

Discovering Agen, France

At the same time, Kaitlyn and Bruno were experiencing life in Agen, a community in southwestern France with a longstanding friendship with Corpus Christi.

During their stay, the students explored French culture, history and cuisine while experiencing the rhythm of everyday life with their host families. They visited local destinations, participated in activities with other students and gained a closer look at the traditions that make Agen unique.

Beyond the landmarks and scheduled activities, living with host families allowed them to experience France on a much more personal level. They returned to Corpus Christi with new perspectives, special memories and friendships that extended far beyond the official exchange itinerary.

Welcoming Agen and Yokosuka to Corpus Christi

The exchange continued when Corpus Christi welcomed Aozora and Mao from Yokosuka, along with Chloe and Zoe from Agen. This time, Corpus Christi’s students and families became the hosts.

Soon after the students arrived, a welcome reception brought together the visiting and returning students, their families, community leaders and Sister Cities supporters. The reception gave each student an opportunity to introduce themselves, share their excitement for the exchange and begin their time in Corpus Christi surrounded by the people who made the experience possible.

Throughout their stay, the students experienced several of the places that help tell the story of Corpus Christi. They attended a Corpus Christi Hooks baseball game, explored marine life at the Texas State Aquarium, visited Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi and stepped aboard the USS Lexington. Alongside these major destinations, time spent with their host families gave them an even more personal look at everyday life in the Coastal Bend.

For the Corpus Christi students, hosting was another important part of the exchange. After relying on their own host families abroad, they now had the opportunity to welcome someone else, explain local customs and share their community from their own point of view.

The City of Corpus Christi also formally recognized all eight students for their participation and their service as youth ambassadors. A city proclamation honored their role in strengthening the relationships among Corpus Christi, Agen and Yokosuka while celebrating the importance of international friendship and cultural understanding.

As the exchange came to a close, the students, families and program supporters gathered once more for a farewell dinner. The evening offered an opportunity to reflect on the experiences they shared, celebrate the friendships they formed and recognize everyone who helped make the exchange possible.

An Exchange That Continues Beyond the Summer

By the end of the program, each student had experienced the exchange from a different perspective. Some traveled across the world for the first time. Others welcomed an international student into their homes. All eight became part of a shared story connecting Corpus Christi, Agen and Yokosuka.

The greatest impact of the Sister Cities Student Exchange cannot always be measured by the number of places visited or activities completed. It can be found in the friendships created, the confidence students gained and the new understanding they developed of a world beyond their own community.

These students returned home with more than photographs and souvenirs. They returned with new perspectives, meaningful relationships and stories they will carry with them for years to come.

Through experiences like these, Corpus Christi’s Sister Cities program continues building international friendships one student, one family and one unforgettable summer at a time.

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