The Spanish club took a trip to Cuernavaca, Mexico, this past summer to indulge deeper into the Spanish culture and to improve their Spanish speaking abilities.

“I would say the students gained a lot.  They certainly learned the difference in culture between the U.S. and a third world country,” said Spanish teacher Jason Schroder, who organized and supervised the trip.

They had an invaluable experience living with a Mexican family and seeing the similarities and dissimilarities with their own families. Most significant though, was the immense exposure to the Spanish language, according to Schroder.

“Also, just the experience of the sights, sounds, and language of a different nation was a real eye-opener for them,” said Schroder.

Schroder has been on this immersion trip not only as a chaperon, but also a student. In 2005, he went on a similar trip under the guidance of “Señor Watkins,” former Spanish Department Chair and current Assistant Principal. Schroder enjoyed taking this trip in a reverse role this summer. Schroder also returned two summers ago to refresh his Spanish and check out the current state of the school that he’s visited on his initial trip.

Eight people total went on this excursion to Mexico.  The student travelers were Alex Autin, Alex Zinsel, Michael Sitarz, Stephen Gulley, Andre Marshal, and Matt Landry. Assistant Principal Trevor Watkins joined them for a few days to send them off.

“It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had,” said Autin.