I have now had the privilege of visiting the Hawaiian Islands twice in my lifetime. My first trip to Hawaii was in 2004 as a Batesville High School student. As a student I looked forward to the trip for all the reasons any 17 year old girl would look forward to it. I wanted lay out on the beach. I wanted to see waterfalls. I wanted to meet new people. What I expected was an amazing vacation. What I received was a life changing experience. While on the trip in 2004 I looked directly at my chaperone (Taira Lynch) and the program director (Dennis O’Rourke) and said, “Someday I will be a biology teacher and I will take my own group of students to Hawaii”. This summer…I did just that.
Hawaii holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. As a student I gained a better appreciation for the world around us. I saw sights that I had never seen before and organisms found nowhere else in the world. I learned about the proud and gracious Hawaiian culture. I tried new foods and met new and interesting people. I was pushed beyond my limits and lived to tell about it. I knew as soon I boarded the airplane home that I needed to come back.
This summer I had the honor of being the group sponsor of some AMAZING Whiteland Community High School Students. I could not have asked for a better group. As much as I enjoyed the trip as a student myself, I feel I enjoyed it more as a sponsor. My group experienced so many new things on the trip and took on every new challenge with enthusiasm and a smile. I enjoyed every minute of witnessing these girls moving outside of their comfort zones and embracing the Hawaiian way of life. I plan on doing this trip as many times as I can during my teaching career. However, the next group I take has some BIG shoes to fill to match how proud I am of this 2011 group.
Thank you to all who made this trip possible. Thank you to my administration and school board for taking a chance and sending a second year teacher half way around the world with students on her own. Thank you to my girls who made my first trip SO MUCH FUN. Thank you to Taira Lynch who inspired me to become a teacher and has helped me every step of the way. Most importantly, thank you to Uncle Dennis. Without you, this trip would not exist.
Mahalo.
