Selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower. Smiling with friends while gliding along the canals of Amsterdam and Venice. Breathing in the views of snow-covered mountains in Switzerland.
The images are vivid and bright, interspersed with video that made the European adventure Southold students embarked upon this April come alive for the audience who watched a presentation at last night’s board of education meeting prepared by the world traveler upon their return.
The students also gave the presentation at an earlier assembly for parents and educators.
At the BOE meeting students Meg Pickerell, Emma Alvarez, Eddie Ward and Robby Kruszeski shared their memories of touring a clog factory, wandering through the streets of Italy in a place as magical as a movie set, experiencing the soaring mountains of Switzerland and iconic sights such as the Eiffel Tower, the “Mona Lisa”, the Colosseum and the canals in Venice.
Students traveled to Amsterdam, Paris, Switzerland and Italy, with an itinerary including Lucerne, Venice, Verona, Rome, Zurich, and Florence over two weeks.
Their eyes lighting, each student explained how the trip had broadened their minds and instilled a passion for travel; one said losing his wallet gave him firsthand experience in how to handle such a situation far from home.
Southold School Superintendent David Gamberg thanked teacher Ivan Santiago for organizing the trip each year for the past 15 years and also expressed gratitude to the chaperones.
Of the students, he said they’d been “articulate and sincere about how the experience affects each and every one of you. I can still say, ‘There’s no place like home,’ and not a day goes by that I’m not grateful to live and work in a place called Southold, but there’s something incredible and magical to see images of an environment you don’t see here — canals, and mountains,” Gamberg said.
Excited parents turned each day to a Facebook page organized by mom Amy Bennett, where they uploaded photos, keeping in close touch with their kids each day, making sure they’d boarded planes and buses safely and letting one another when they were homebound. Messages were shared about the awe-inspiring moments, such as when their children captured a video of the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower at night, their voices bright with excitement, and the humorous, such as when some tried to order pizza in French.
“I just feel so fortunate that Mr. Santiago continues to organize and take this trip with our kids each year. It was an amazing life changing experience for my son Matthew — another great thing about a small school like Southold. We also owe thanks to our BOE for approving the trip,” said mom Melissa Hyatt-Desimone.
Added Sherry Pickerell, “It’s a wonderful trip and we are all lucky that our children have the opportunity given to them to be a part of it. Meg worked hard and paid for the trip herself, as did our older daughter the year she went. They both appreciated everything about it. The teachers that chaperone are amazing, too.”
The world, Gamberg said, is a much smaller place today. “It makes a great deal of sense for young people to taste that world that you’re going to lead. I think it’s best that we prepare you for that rather than hide you from it.”
Southold Board of Education president Paulette Ofrias thanked Santiago for taking his own vacation time away from his family to take the students. “I’ve never been to Europe and I’ll never go, but every year I see a little bit of it in this presentation. Thank you for coming and sharing it with us.”
BOE member Dr. John Crean said Southold students were fortunate, that a small, public school could afford such an expansive experience due to the efforts of dedicated staff. Some private schools don’t even offer similar opportunities, he sid.
Greenport High School students also traveled to London and Paris this year; at one point the students from both districts met in Paris, soccer friends meeting on foreign soil.
Gamberg said the timing, having students travel in their sophomore year, was perfect timing, coordinated with their global studies curriculum. The trip, he said, “has become a rite of passage for students here.”
Students were enthusiastic about their experience. “First off, Mr Ivan Santiago is the best,” said Alessandra Ramirez, who shared her thoughts via email with SoutholdLOCAL. “Our tour guide Steve English was hilarious and our group of chaperones couldn’t have been a better bunch. The freedom and experience I gained from my two week trip is something that will stay with me forever. I’ve experienced a whole new world and it makes me never want to stop traveling. Coming from a small town, traveling can be a culture shock, but I wouldn’t change anything about our trip.”
The bonds, Ramirez said, are lifelong. “I’ve made connections with friends and teachers I will never lose. A traveling program is something every school should offer and it’s one of the best things our Southold school offers. I loved every second of it, even being as tired as we were.”
Earlier this year, some were concerned about the trip. In January, amidst daily threats of international unrest and terrorism, board of education member Scott Latham said parents should think twice about sending their children to Europe.
But after careful consideration and an outpouring of support for the trip from parents, administrators gave the trip a go, and the kids set off on their great adventure.
“My son Gage went on the trip,” said mom Amy Bennett in April. “Of course I’m a nervous mom sending him off for almost two weeks, but I know it’s an experience of a lifetime. I had the opportunity to travel to Europe as a teenager and it was an unforgettable experience. I set up the Facebook page when we were waiting for the bus yesterday so all the moms and dads had a place to chat about the trip as well as post and see pictures of the kids while they’re over there. It makes it easier having them be away if we are all in it together.”
Meg Pickerell spoke glowingly of how travel has enriched her life and said when asked why travel, explore the world’s canvas, the answer was simple: “Why not?” she said.
