Central Valley high school students getting ready for a trip to Fresno's new sister city

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- High school students in the Central Valley are getting prepared for the trip of a lifetime. Fresno has a new sister city, Chateauroux, south of France.

Fresno's sister cities program is bringing the Central Valleys best and brightest abroad. Students at Central High School East came face to face with their host students in Chateauroux, France in anticipation of their student exchange.

"This gives me the opportunity to do something that I won't have in the future, so that's exciting for me," said Brandon Lopez, 10th grade.

Elizabeth Hernandez only expected to learn a new language when she signed up to take high school french.

"I'm ready to embrace their culture in its entirety."

Her French class spent the morning on a Skype call with French high school students who will visit Fresno as soon as September.

"The weather is so perfect, the proximity to the mountains, beach, to everywhere and it's a great place to raise a family, and so I want to share that," said Linda Motschiedler, Fresno Sister Cities.

In addition to wanting to share her love of the Central Valley, Motschiedler first got involved with the Sister Cities program when her boys took part in the exchange with Munster, Germany.

"They were excited, but they were scared, and they came back experienced travelers."

"Whenever students have the opportunity to learn a different language and explore a different culture it really widens their horizons, and as a teacher that's my ultimate goal is to inspire and to experience something they've never experienced before ," said Scott Donaghe, French teacher.

Study abroad programs can cost anywhere from 3 to $5,000. The Fresno Sister City program has made the family to family exchange the cost of airfare.