LAURINBURG — Murray Hamilton first came to America in 1998 as part of the annual student-exchange program between Scotland High School in Laurinburg and Oban High School in Scotland. Twenty years later, he remains involved with the program — and the journey has been an exciting one.
The Oban students were guests of the Laurinburg Rotary Club on Tuesday.
“After my first visit here, I knew I wanted to come back,” Hamilton said.
So he did. After some research and plenty of paperwork, Hamilton returned to the States and took his senior year of high school at Scotland High, graduating in 2000.
“I loved it, every part of it,” he said about the experience.
Hamilton returned to Scotland and eventually became a physical education teacher at Oban High in 2008, where he is now the head of the department and one of the lead organizers for the student-exchange program. He’s seen plenty of changes in the program over the 10 years since he’s been a chaperone.
“That first year, we weren’t sure we would have enough students interested to make the trip,” he said. “But it’s grown every year since — now we get 30-plus applicants every year and we choose 12.”
Hamilton said the two-week trip is a valuable one for the students because “it’s not tied to a specific subject — it’s more of a cultural experience.
“It teaches them to present themselves well, builds confidence and responsibility,” he added. “These are our young ambassadors and they do develop strong friendships.”
When each of the Oban and Scotland high students were given a chance to tell what their favorite part of the exchange has been, many focused on the bonds formed with each other — as well as learning a new culture, visiting new places, having new experiences, seeing new sports and making visits to places like the beach, state fair and nation’s capital.
“These students will go home and help promote the program through interviews, assemblies and mentoring of the round of applicants in weekly meetings,” Hamilton said. “And I think 12 is the perfect number for this program.”
This past summer, Hamilton married his wife Nicola, who also serves as a chaperone for the trip.
The Oban group will depart North Carolina on Thursday morning for the return trip home.
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In the beginning
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On May 17, 1991, a group of men were sitting in a restaurant on Oban when the idea of a foreign exchange student program was brought up. The Laurinburg men reached out to the borough of Oban, Argyll — a community in the Highlands and the “Gateway to the Hebrides” — that the two become Sister Cities as sanctioned by Sister Cities International.
Shortly thereafter, in 1993, with Rotary and community financial support, Scotland High sent one teacher and one student to visit Oban for a week. Oban responded a few months later by sending two students and one teacher from Oban High School to Laurinburg for two weeks.
And the relationship was set.
“It was just a chicken-scratched agreement,” said Beacham McDougald, one of those men to first discuss the idea.
Today, the two high schools exchange students for two weeks each year — with Scotland High students making the trip in June and Oban students coming in October.
“Now, folks in Oban understand y’all and folks in Laurinburg know what a Ceilidh is,” McDougald said.
The Laurinburg Rotary Club (as well as the Oban Rotary Club) are vital links. When the program began, the Laurinburg Rotary Club pledged scholarship funds to insure that any selected student could participate. Years later and with more than $75,000 given, the Laurinburg Rotary Club is still supporting the endeavor.
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-506-3023 or cvincent@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.
