The Rexonian
Issue 1 January 2025 King’s Academy, Madaba-Manja, Jordan
EXPERIENCING INDIA AND JORDAN STUDENTS MAKE CONNECTIONS OVERSEAS By Leda O’Rourke At 16 years old, Adam AlQatawneh ’25 spent one month in the summer of 2024 studying in Ajmer, India. Along with Radwan Obeidat ’25, Kareem Abu Salah ’25, Joonyoung Kim ’24 and Rad Hasan ’25, he took part in a Round Square exchange program between King’s Academy and Mayo College. The five King’s students spent the month of July at Mayo College. Located in Ajmer, the boys-only school was founded in 1875 by a British Viceroy —making it one of India’s oldest boarding schools. In return, King’s Academy, a much younger institution, hosted three students from Mayo. During his time at Mayo College, AlQatawneh took several courses that are not offered at King’s, including Hindi and Aeromodelling. He also enjoyed the school museum, which had artifacts like the uniforms of war veterans, a weaponry collection, a Guinness Book of World Records plaque for the highest video game score, and preserved snakes and scorpions.
The exchange students from King’s bringing a blast from the past! (Kareem AbuSalah ’25)
Biryani. He also saw similarities between Arab and Indian cultures, such as the shared value of family and community. “There was a familiar sense of welcoming and hospitality in Mayo College and India as a whole,” Radwan Obeidat ’25 stated. “Whether it was the smiles on the faces of waiters in restaurants or the warm cup of Chai Masala we would have with every dinner, our experience in India was marked by unwavering generosity. It got me to think deeper and realize how similar the Arab and Indian cultures of hospitality truly are.”
“Although the dorm spirit is nice in King’s, it felt 10 times stronger in Mayo,” AlQatawneh noted. “Intramural sports competitions happen often with traditions that will stick in my memory for a long time. For example, whenever the upperclassmen of Ajmer House play in a final, all underclassmen must use their bedsheets as makeshift banners supporting their players!” Another critical part of any exchange program is learning about the culture of a new place. AlQatawneh was able to take cooking classes and learn how to make traditional Indian meals like
The Exchange Students from King’s wearing traditional Indian headwear at a restaurant (Kareem AbuSalah ’25)
The Rexonian Issue #1
1