New Delhi: A group of ten students from the US state of Montana is currently on a study visit to India and received a warm welcome in the national capital. The delegation, organised by the Montana World Affairs Council, includes seven high school students and three chaperones. The delegation is exploring Indian culture, cuisine, and diversity, and has expressed deep admiration for the country.
Jason Smith, a board member of the Montana World Affairs Council and a three-time visitor to India, described the country as “magical.” “The people are warm and wonderful. The sights and sounds are so unique. There’s no place like it on Earth,” Smith told news agency ANI.
Smith added that travelling with enthusiastic students has made the experience even more meaningful.
“We don’t have good Indian food back home, so for someone like me who enjoys food, eating Indian cuisine in Delhi is a real treat,” he said.
#WATCH | Delhi | “…I’ve had the good fortune to visit India twice before. I’ve been eager to come back, and coming back with this group of young people and seeing it through their eyes is very special. I’ve always found my time in India to be magical. The people are warm and… pic.twitter.com/TmN7vKcvKB
— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2025
India: An unforgettable experience for the delegation
Student delegate Clara Depuy expressed her fascination with India’s biodiversity and remarked that the visit had challenged many of her preconceived notions shaped by media portrayals abroad. “Not everything is as it seems from across the world,”* she noted.
Lockwood High School graduate Lara Larson called the experience “exciting,” especially witnessing a culture so different from her own. She shared her eagerness to visit the Taj Mahal and deepen her understanding of Indian religions, particularly after reading Siddhartha in class.
Another delegate, Emily Brandenburg, echoed similar sentiments. She said Siddhartha offered her a first glimpse into non-Western spiritual traditions, and she expressed keen interest in Indian cinema as well.
Accompanying teacher Alli DePuy praised the group’s warm welcome in India, saying, “We’ve been welcomed with open arms, delicious food, and love.”
It is pertinent to mention that after excelling in the EconoQuest 2025 and Academic WorldQuest 2025 competitions at the University of Montana in Missoula, the Indian Consulate in Seattle selected the student delegation.
