By Julia Sheth
Theme Editor
Costa students are often taught about different cultures in a classroom setting, but rarely do they get to experience those cultures first-hand and outside the walls of the classroom. Costa’s first school-sponsored trip to South Africa allowed students to experience an entirely new way of living hands-on.
Costa guidance counselor Brittney Olson led the week-long Spring Break trip, which consisted of both a service and tourist component. She worked with the student tour company Education First Tour Company in order to organize the trip.
“This trip was a life-changing, educational and cultural experience for both the students and the chaperons,” Olson said. “Our preparation and organization allowed us to take part in many activities, such as visiting a school, going on a safari, learning about Nelson Mandela and cage diving with great white sharks.”
The 25 students who attended the trip had to be invited based on teacher recommendation. According to junior Erin Clifford, deciding to go on the trip was a life-altering decision.
“Overall, my experience in South Africa was incredible,” Clifford said. “Everything we did was really inspiring. It all really changed the way I look at the world.”
For the service component of the trip, students visited a South African school and orphanage in Achornhoek, South Africa in order to donate supplies, including the soccer equipment that Costa’s Kleats4Kids Club provided.
“The service day was the most amazing experience of my entire life,” Kleats4Kids Club President sophomore Danielle Major said. “Visiting the orphanage and giving these kids their first jersey and pair of cleats was eye opening, and it was also touching beyond words.”
In addition to the service component, students participated in several other activities. For experience, students went on a safari through Kruger National Park and had the opportunity to go cage diving with great white sharks.
“Even though I was scared at first, cage diving was probably the coolest thing I’ve done,” sophomore Maddy Silver said. “It was an insane experience, and I still can’t believe how close we got to the sharks.”
According to sophomore Kiera Isgrig, the trip was not only a success because of the memories it created, but also because of the vast amount of knowledge that students gained about South African culture.
“I learned so much on the trip, but the main thing that I learned is that other places are a lot less fortunate than we are, so we cannot take what we have for granted,” Isgrig said. “It is one thing to see people suffering on television, but seeing it in person is a whole other story. It made me appreciate the lucky life that I live, and it reminded me that I can find happiness without the company of material items.”
Olson will not be planning another trip to South Africa for next year but plans on taking students to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
“Travel is a passion of mine, and I love sharing it with my students and seeing their excitement as they experience a new place and culture,” Olson said. “That is why I would like to take students to different places around the world in years to come.”
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