Arlington Sister City Association

In the 1990's ASCA had no French sister city and no student exchange with France. I was teaching French at Yorktown High School and had tried several times to start an exchange with a French high school, so that my students could have that very enriching experience. I turned to ASCA, who wanted both a French Sister City and was willing to sponsor a student exchange. We started the student exchange in 2001 and Reims became a Sister City in 2004. Bravo and thanks to Arlington Sister City Association!

As a member of ASCA, I’ve been involved with the Arlington-Reims high school student exchanges for over 10 years. The exchanges provide enriching opportunities for Arlington students to use the French language and culture they are learning in school to interact with students and families from Reims. It’s an amazing and rewarding opportunity for our youth to become better citizens of the world. 

The Arlington Sister City Association and its hundreds of volunteers have enriched our community with almost three decades of dedication to citizen diplomacy.  ASCA has built cross-cultural collaboration, developed strong international relationships and acquainted our world neighbors with our community.  ASCA is a very special organization for me.  It brings together my love for local public service and belief that international relationships and learning can improve our world.  Exchanges with public safety employees, students and fellow elected officials have strengthened both Arlington and our sister cities.  We may live thousands of miles and oceans apart, but the problems and challenges we face are very similar.   ASCA helps us support each other in those challenges and celebrate together our successes.   I look forward to ASCA’s next thirty years!