It's A Small World After All
Apr 08, 2025 01:08PM ● By Jen Gennaro
As a personal note, Jane, Mitchell, and George happen to be my aunt and uncles—making this unexpected connection even more special to write about! -Jen
Last month, Jane and Mitchell Wood, along with Jane’s brother George Bayhi, traveled from Baton Rouge to San Sebastián, a sparkling resort town in Spain’s mountainous Basque Country. Known for its golden beaches and world-renowned cuisine, the city offered all the sights and flavors they’d hoped for—but one unexpected encounter made their trip unforgettable.
While beginning a city tour led by a local guide, the group mentioned they were from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. That’s when their guide, Ainhoa Álvarez, stopped in her tracks.
“She almost started crying when she talked to us,” Jane said.
It turns out that in 1987 and 1988, Ainhoa spent a year in Zachary as an immersion exchange student. She lived with the Annison family and attended Zachary High School. It was her first time in the United States—and one of the most formative experiences of her life.
Ainhoa played volleyball for ZHS in 1987-88
“I come from a small, conservative town in the Basque Country,” Ainhoa said. “Back in the ‘80s, it wasn’t diverse at all. There were no foreigners, no BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, People of Color] folks, and most of the families were very conservative; homosexuality and domestic problems were a taboo subject. Growing up there, I felt that I was missing something, and always had the desire to travel and see more of the world,” she says. “That desire brought me to Louisiana.”
She arrived in Zachary speaking only two words of English, clutching a translation book and an unshakable sense of determination. Hosted by a large, diverse, and deeply loving family, Ainhoa was quickly immersed in a different way of life—one that embraced differences and celebrated community.
“It was a large, extended family that included an LGBTQ couple, an adopted child, and grandparents who had taken in their grandchild when he was experiencing problems at home. Everyone in the family was loved and accepted for who they were, and it opened my eyes to a whole new way of interacting with the world,” Ainhoa says. “Living with them showed me how to be tolerant, and reinforced my belief that everyone should be treated with respect.”
Joseph and Clara Lipscomb Annison were her host family. “She was the most determined, independent, brave, sociable, and loving young woman we could ever have hoped for,” said Kaycee Annison, whose now-deceased parents hosted Ainhoa during her exchange year. “She and my Dad had daily conversations translating back and forth to each other. In no time she was able to communicate quite successfully and excelled in school.”
Ainhoa with her host parents, Joseph and Clara Annison, in 1988.
The Annisons made sure to give her a full Louisiana experience. “Mom and Dad were older, so they encouraged [my wife] and me to take her everywhere—to introduce her to the local culture and beyond,” Kaycee said. “It was a treat to tour her and the kids around.”
Ainhoa says that attending Zachary High was a stark contrast to the schools in her hometown of San Sebastián. For the first time, she saw a wide range of economic diversity.
“It was when I was first really exposed to the inequities in the school system, but also to the teachers and administrators who were trying to make things better,” she says. “It was also the moment when I acutely experienced what it feels like to be an outsider, and I was so grateful for people and fellow students that made me feel included and allowed me to share my own heritage and culture with them,” she says.
“I appreciated when teachers not only tried to help me understand what they were teaching, but also when it was obvious they truly believed in me,” she says. “I wasn’t just a checkmark on their to-do list, or a body in the classroom.”
The experience left a lasting impact, shaping her approach as an educator. Today, she strives to create inclusive, supportive classrooms where all students—regardless of background—feel seen, valued, and empowered.
“Every time I have a new student, I think of my time in Louisiana, of my teachers and peers who accepted my cultural background, and the family who truly practiced radical acceptance and welcomed me into their home,” she says.
In the decades since, Ainhoa has kept in close touch with the Annisons and has been back to visit Zachary seven times. Just last month, she met up with Kaycee and Margaret at Hilton Head Resort in South Carolina. “We have been to visit her in Spain three times, and she met up with us in Florence, Italy a few years ago,” Kaycee adds.
Kaycee, Margaret and Ainhoa in Venice
Now a Spanish teacher and freelance guide in San Sebastián, Ainhoa specializes in city tours, food excursions, and hikes throughout the region. It was her very first time encountering anyone from Zachary since her exchange year—nearly four decades ago.
It’s a beautiful reminder of the far-reaching ripple effects of kindness and community.
As Zachary continues to grow and welcome new faces from across the globe, Ainhoa’s story reminds us that a little hospitality can leave an impression that lasts a lifetime—and sometimes, it even comes full circle.