In the last two weeks of June 2017, Craig Ross, a Spanish teacher here at Leesville, and 12 other students are flying into Lima, Peru. They will then have the opportunity to travel to different cities throughout the country of South America, including Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Puno, and Paracas.
Kiara McNeill, a senior, is looking forward to her last foreign traveling experience with the school. McNeill went to Costa Rica with Ross her freshman year and enjoyed the experience. “It’s definitely going to be different now because I’ve gotten more fluent in Spanish. But I also can’t wait to compare Peru and Costa Rica because even though they are close geographically, they couldn’t be more different in customs and culture,” said McNeill.
Bohinski, who is going to take Spanish IV this spring, is interested in the cultural aspects that the Peru trip will provide. “I’m really looking forward to experiencing the culture and to use the Spanish language in Peru, as well as communicating with people whose first language isn’t English,” said Bohinski.
From Puerto Rico to Peru, Ross’s love for traveling hasn’t dimmed a bit throughout his seven trips abroad through the school. “I took the lead on this particular trip because I have always wanted to go to Peru,” said Ross. “The trip I took this summer [Europe Trip] was the first trip that I took that was multinational and included countries that didn’t speak just Spanish. It was a great trip, but I wanted to get back to taking kids who are interested in Spanish to Spanish speaking countries. I combined the personal desire to go to Peru and the enthusiasm of the students,” said Ross.
“One of the most exciting things about these trips is that students get more comfortable in a different place, in this case speaking a different language. Being able to see the growth in a nine or ten day period because it is such an intense experience, you really get to see things change quickly. I just love that aspect because it’s like teaching in the classroom but instead of a semester or a year, you see the results in nine days,” said Ross.
An interest meeting will be held the first week of October, and signups are open all the way until the spring, or until the other eight spots fill up. The Peru trip is a great way to broaden horizons, get a rich cultural experience and practice the Spanish languages
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