![At the bottom of the third inning, the Lions are still scoreless. Rowe stands at home plate, preparing to bat, while Vandenbrink stands off to the side as the next batter up. Despite having the bases loaded, the team was unable to score any runs. “It’s just the beginning of the season. We’re just going to be playing out best by June, [and] that’s where champions are,” Rowe said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3077-1200x900.jpg)
![All smiles. The group poses for a photo with last year’s book, “This is Our House,” along with their award for third Best in Show. Meikle, who was an Editor-in-Chief for the yearbook last year as well, holds both and stands at the center of the group. “That was an amazing feeling, going and grabbing the third place award,” Meikle said. “All of it paid off. I cried so much over that book, being able to receive [the award] was one of the highlights of my high school career, it was like the coolest thing ever.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/8bookpose_philly-1200x800.jpg)
When school is out, students may choose to spend the first few weeks relaxing and decompressing from the prior school year. However, other students chose to continue their learning by traveling abroad to the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador.
In partnership with Education First (EF) Educational Tours, the group of 12 students, led by Matt Bell, history teacher, and Katelyn Berry, biology teacher, left for the Galápagos Islands on June 23. They first flew to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, and spent the next day exploring the culturally rich community. Next, they traveled to three different islands over the course of seven days.
At each stop, the islands provided unique experiences for students to immerse themselves in, such as snorkeling to see ocean life, or hiking through the San Cristobal Islands.
Gabe Garrett, junior, was one of the 12 students who participated in the travel abroad program.
“[My favorite part of the trip] was Isabella Island, where we spent two days because it was the prettiest island,” Garrett said. “The culture was also really great, once it got past 7 p.m. and it got dark, [the island] actually got way more crowded. Everyone came out, there was all this music, and I got to play soccer with local kids at a park.”
Traveling to other countries and experiencing different cultures and scenery could be an opportunity for students to practice a different language. Although not required to go on a trip, being involved in language classes can be a motivator for students to travel.
Anna Williamson, junior, has been in dual language enrollment since kindergarten. Living in Oregon, she hasn’t had the chance to practice speaking with many native Spanish speakers.
“I got to practice all of my Spanish [on the trip],” Williamson said. “That was my motive going into it, being able to talk to actual [native] Spanish speakers.”
Traveling with the school’s program gives students the ability to tour international locations that are often more difficult to visit at a reduced cost, due to the partnership with EF.
Penny Orenstein, junior, is a student who signed up for this experience after learning about it in her biology class freshman year.
“It’s a really great opportunity,” Orenstein said. “If [the school] hadn’t used EF, I probably would never be able to go to the Galápagos because it’s not super accessible. It’s a great program to have an easier way to have a fun travel experience.”
For students interested in traveling internationally through the school, there are many more opportunities to do so throughout the next few years. Recently, there has been an announcement of a trip to Peru and the Amazon in the summer of 2026. To learn more, contact Ian Rowe, Spanish teacher, ([email protected]).
