Bon voyage, Islanders

Nineteen Mercer Island High School students and three chaperones gathered at the community center on Feb. 17 before departing for the airport for the Island’s sister city, Thonon-les-Bains, France, on a 10-day student exchange trip. The trip to the Haute Savoie region is organized by the Mercer Island Sister City Association, which has arranged nine to 10 student exchanges since its founding in 2000. Their host families will be sending French exchange students to the Island in October. The students are Sibella Benninghoff, Sophie Cartwright, Durham French, Madison Gaspers, Maeve Goldman, Finn Hensey, Sofia Holloway, Greta Hykes, Ambre Lathieyre, Jade Lathieyre, Genvieve Lee, Ansel Leveque, Justin Li, Raquel Libman, Marta Malaguzzi, Elise McDonald, Amelie Schmid, Sidh Shroff and Raissa Stefan. The chaperones are Monica Howell, Kirsten Taylor and Nancy LaValle. Most of the Islanders are pictured. Courtesy photo