Livian and Cameron Woody
By Lorrie Ross
Staff Writer
A group of Clay County young people has the opportunity for the trip of a lifetime. However, for many families, the costs may keep their students’ dream from happening. The 19 students planning to travel to Scotland in June are part of Clay County’s Global Studies program led by Global Studies Co-Directors and Hayesville teachers, Ginger Scerri and Michelle Calascione.
While these students are part of a school group, this is not an official school trip. It will take the community’s help to make the travel dreams a reality. While this program is not an official school-sponsored trip, Scerri and Calascione, are adamant the entire group should get to go because they have worked hard. Each student had to apply, needed recommendations and wrote an essay. To maintain eligibility, they had to maintain AB honor roll, as well as certain behavior expectations the entire school year.
Meanwhile, most students began individual fund-raising, from babysitting to selling home-baked goods and crafts and more. Prior to the holiday season, the Clay County Progress shared excerpts from several students’ essays and photos. These continue so readers may learn more about these eager students.
Eighth grader Aydah Judd has been part of Global Studies for the past three years. “I am intrigued by the opportunities to sample the different foods and learn about the day-to-day lifestyle and culture of the Scottish people,” Judd wrote. “I am interested in learning the history of a country far older than my own. At the conclusion of this travel opportunity, I hope to return home with a better understanding of Scotland’s history. I have a passion for traveling as well as immersing myself in other cultures. I feel like this trip will positively shape my future by continuing to enhance my knowledge of international history, as well as my understanding of foreign cultures. When I get back, I can’t wait to share my trip with my peers, teachers, administrators and encourage students about international travel. I am excited for the potential travel opportunity as I feel it would positively impact not just myself, but future students in my position. I feel this opportunity will allow me to have a better understanding of the differences day to day between America and Scotland. I am so thankful for this opportunity.”
Another eighth grade student, Summer Borchardt, believes traveling to Scotland will be a great learning opportunity. “Ever since I’ve learned I had the opportunity to go, I’m very grateful. Scotland has such a rich history and a super diverse culture,” she said. “I hope to learn about its historical landmarks, understand its political landscape and immerse myself in its vibrant art scene. I see this experience as something big, like it will grow and possibly change my perspective on how I see the world. I’m eager to learn new things about a place that isn’t my own country. I am thankful for this opportunity because of my passion about learning different things about the world. I’ve spent some of my time researching Scotland and its culture and I’m excited to be able to experience it firsthand. This trip could apply to my future plans by providing me with a global perspective, which is invaluable in today’s world. It could also help me pursue a career with international relations or cultural preservation.”
Will Jennings is most excited to visit Stirling Castle. ”Stirling castle is home to a royal chapel, the Great Hall and Queen Anne’s gardens. All of these are historically significant and the castle itself was involved in some of Scotland’s most important turns in history, such as the battle of Bannockburn and it was also home to Mary Queen of Scots when she was a child,” his essay said. “Stirling castle was deeply involved in Scotland’s war history because the castle was a fortress situated on a vantage point where you can see the entirety of Stirling. The castle has undergone many sieges and it is situated in between the Highlands and the Lowlands. The scenery around the castle contains steep cliffs and beautiful hills. I find all of this history and geography attached to the castle fascinating. Stirling Castle is one of the most historically significant and well-known destinations in Scotland and I would love to visit it.”
Sisters Cameron and Livian Woody both plan to make the trip. Freshman Livian shared, “I hope this will be a very enlightening and perspective-changing experience. I hope to learn about the history of Scotland and what significant actions shaped the culture and the Scotland we see today. I hope learning different views and mindsets of Scottish people can help me see the world with their perspective. I feel strongly this experience will help me to be more open to different opinions and change in the near future. I am passionate about learning and I will truly appreciate this opportunity. I feel this experience would affect my future by opening my eyes to the many possibilities life has to offer. I feel most excited about the Scottish folklore show, because I love to watch a good show and I think I will learn a lot about their history and the styles of dance. I feel I will also retain more information because it is a hands-on experience.”
Cameron, a Hayesville High School senior, feels this trip will offer tools for success for the gap year she plans after graduation. “I hope this opportunity will be a pivotal experience that will forever impact me,” she wrote. “I am excited to experience a new culture very different from ours in so many ways. I can’t wait to learn about their traditions, their foods and their accents. I feel like a lot of the time people can immediately associate going overseas with going to another country that does not speak the same language and it will be an amazing experience to not have as much of a language barrier and be able to fully immerse myself into the culture and trip without fear of not understanding something. I find everyday cultural differences fascinating and can’t wait to learn their cultural norms compared to mine. I am also looking forward to learning their rich history as it has spanned from the Paleolithic era to today.”
She continued, “Travel experiences, especially international travel experiences, can always change your outlook. I hope this experience gives me a new appreciation for old and historical architecture, I love architecture and an understanding of each separate time in history reflects the unique influences from time periods on these buildings. Being able to view buildings such as this will also be a very unique experience because the United States of America is very young in comparison to Scotland. It will be so neat to see things before our continent was even colonized. This trip will help me learn the logistics of traveling internationally as well as help me to grow into a more culturally aware global citizen.”
All student essays and videos can bee seen at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553955034542.
Calascione and Scerri issued this statement: “It is important for us to be successful in raising funds for this opportunity for our qualifying kids at a limited financial burden cost of their families. So many of our students qualify as true poverty level.” Travel cost for each student will be $4,200. Direct donation options for Global Scotland trip are:
• SECU.
• GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/global-studies-program-trip-to-scotland-june-2024.
• Contact Ginger Scerri at: gingerbuchananscerri@gmail.com.