Two eighth graders at Pleasant Valley Junior High won a cruise in Europe. In March, they flew to Amsterdam and began their tour through Belgium and the Netherlands.
To win the trip, the students entered an essay contest. Each applicant wrote three essays to build their case on why they should be selected for the trip. In the three questions, the two junior high students shared their passion for traveling and exploring the world.
Grant Gaura and Katia Zemo, along with one guardian each, embarked on something few junior high students can relate to. They spent eight days on a Discovery Crew cruise where the students had a chance to learn about the culture and local history. “I always wanted to see a lot of the historical sights,” said Gaura.
The trip started with a long flight across the Atlantic. Flying from Chicago to Amsterdam was not an average day of travel for Zemo. “My experience traveling overseas was unbelievable and one of the best of my life,” she said.
Traveling through the Netherlands, the students studied local lifestyle and visited Anne Frank’s House, a biographical museum dedicated to the world war two writer. Meeting new people was something Zemo particularly enjoyed.
As they studied the culture and landmarks, a common theme arose: language. “People learn Dutch in school,” stated Gaura. “They also learn English and French.” Learning multiple languages is advantageous as the world becomes more connected. Gaura also observed the people in Belgium to be much taller than he expected.
Gaura and Zemo both went on a bike tour through many historical sights, and Garua noticed the amazing amount of windmills used to provide cleaner energy. He found their effort to pursue renewable energy to be inspiring.
Before the trip, the students’ anticipations to visit historically significant places and to explore the cities were high. Although when the cruise came to end, the beauty of the tulip gardens and meeting new people were the highlights.
Gaura was excited to win the cruise and was thankful for the experience. He likes to travel, and the cruise was an amazing experience full of history. He hopes to have a chance to go on another trip overseas sometime in his life.
