Before we begin, we must first answer the following question:
What is a sister cities program?
A sister cities program is a non-profit organization that serves to promote international awareness and maintain relations with sister cities, carrying out exchange programs between cities.
It has been a great pleasure to have been part of the sister cities program (Burlington – Alamance Sister Cities, Soledad de Graciano Sanchez) in order to learn and coexist with the people, culture, and English language in Burlington.
But before continuing with the story, here is a bit of history about this Sister Cities program:
History of the Sister Cities Program
Burlington-Alamance Sister Cities was officially established on April 27, 2000, under the leadership of Dr. Beth Powell, who, along with community members, developed an organization based on the ideas of Sister Cities International. Dr. Powell and the committee members developed the original bylaws, which were signed in 2000.
After a “City Search” on the SCI website, the city of Soledad de Graciano Sánchez in the state of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, was selected. The selection committee was composed of Dr. Clyde Christmas, Dr. Sandra Moulton, Bob Byrd, and Dr. Beth Powell. The first visit by BASC members to Soledad was in November 2003. The Partnership Agreement between the two cities was officially signed on April 15, 2004, in a ceremony at the Historic Depot in Burlington. Mayor Steve Ross of Burlington and Mayor Roberto Cervantes-Barajas of Soledad signed the Partnership Agreement, which formalized the relationship between the two cities.
Burlington-Alamance Sister Cities was officially established on April 27, 2000, under the leadership of Dr. Beth Powell, who, along with community members, developed an organization based on the ideas of Sister Cities International. Dr. Powell and the committee members developed the original bylaws, which were signed in 2000.
After a “City Search” on the SCI website, the city of Soledad de Graciano Sánchez in the state of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, was selected.
The Beginning of the Journey
I dedicate this small blog to all the people involved in this sister cities project, for supporting students like me, giving us the opportunity to travel, learn, and exchange cultures.
-Manuel R.
The journey began approximately on September 12th, with four companions from different universities in the city of Soledad de Graciano Sánchez, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. We traveled to North Carolina and spent approximately 2 weeks touring Alamance County as part of the Burlington-Alamance Sister Cities program.
On our visit, we were accompanied by a professor and the rector of the university of the Instituto Tecnológico Superior de San Luis Potosí, the mayor of Soledad, his son, and a member of the sister city committee in Soledad.
We toured local sites such as Alamance Arts, the Graham Historical Museum, Alamance Battleground, the County Historical Museum, Glencoe, Elon University, the Hollywood Horror Show in Snow Camp, May Memorial Library, Burlington Beer Works, Paramount Theater, City Park, Alamance Community College, and LabCorp.
My Experience
Human beings need and must learn something more about the world we live in every day. Therefore, by exchanging cultures with other countries, we can learn more, understand their customs, traditions, language, beliefs, and many other things. We will also have the opportunity to teach them our own culture, thus benefiting both parties.
This cultural exchange was very important to me because it allowed me to enrich myself and learn more about the English language, in addition to allowing me to discover new places and meet new people.
Upon arriving in the United States of America, the people received me in a very kind and cordial manner. Moreover, they always made an effort to teach me the English language with great patience, and vice versa, the people of Burlington were also interested in learning the Spanish language.
When speaking with people and visiting some places, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the cultures have similarities with those of my country, Mexico. During the trip, I learned a lot about the history and traditions of the city of Burlington, North Carolina. It was very interesting for me to learn about the history of the founding families who helped the city become recognized. During the trip, I visited several historically significant sites for the city, such as the textile factory, the train station, and museums. All of this allowed me to appreciate the city's history, in addition to meeting people with great stories and knowledge. I also learned about the importance of learning the English language, both socially and professionally. Personally, the English language opens the door to many opportunities for me. It is not a fad or a matter of taste; it is a fact that learning English is important today and makes life much easier. I mean that English allows a Chinese person and an Italian to understand each other, an Indian programmer to work with an American startup, or a Spaniard to travel to any non-Spanish-speaking country and communicate. Furthermore, during the visit to Alamance County, I had the opportunity to visit various schools in the county. English is the official language of the internet and new technologies. Additionally, meeting local people and listening to them speak the language helped me gain confidence and speak English with more security and fluency. What I experienced on this trip makes me want to improve and teach others the importance of speaking a second language, not only English but also any other language, as speaking a second language provides many benefits, such as meeting new people, improving your communication skills, and being a requirement for better job opportunities. Currently, English should be indispensable in our lives, regardless of whether you are involved in the field of new technologies or are a student or an older adult; speaking English gives you many benefits.
I send a big greeting and hug to all the people involved in this sister cities project, for supporting students like me, giving us the opportunity to travel, learn, and exchange cultures.
If you wish to take a look at the article written by The Times News magazine, you can visit it by clicking on the link below:
If you are interested in supporting the Burlington Sister Cities program, you can visit the following link: https://www.burlingtonsistercities.org/exchange-programs