'Unforgettable Experiences' Underway For Some Moorestown Students: Parent

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Thirteen Moorestown families are "opening up their homes and hearts" to a group of students from Spain who are currently experiencing their first trip to the United States.

The students' visit was supposed to occur in 2020.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent restrictions delayed the students' arrival until last weekend, according to Hilda Marrero-Ladik, a Moorestown lawyer and one of the parents who helped coordinate the trip, told Patch.

During the delay, the Spanish students kept in touch with their would-be Moorestown hosts through email, video calls and snail mail, she said. Simultaneously, the Spanish students and their American counterparts learned about each other's cultures and languages, she added.

For example, one American student, Xavier Ladik, corresponded with Alvaro Escrig, "and the two teenage students developed an enduring friendship," Marrero-Ladik said.

The pair "maintained this relationship through the past three years, awaiting the opportunity for [Escrig] to experience some Jersey-style summer fun," she continued.

"Xavier and his family are excited to welcome him this week and deepen this international friendship with unforgettable experiences in his first visit to America," Marrero-Ladik said.

To that end, Xavier's family intends to take Escrig to the Jersey Shore, Philadelphia and New York City while in the United States, according to Marrero-Ladik.

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