Testimonials

Heather Tarpley, faculty chaperone

“I have led or chaperoned over a dozen trips with high school students, involving groups ranging in size from 5 to 31 people. I did 100% of the planning on the small trips in my early years, and hired educational travel companies for larger trips over a span of 15 years. Last winter, however, I had the opportunity to travel to France with Tony Saegert alongside a mid-sized group of students. The stories and articles Tony had students read prior to our departure, and the documentaries he had them watch, laid the groundwork for interesting pre-trip discussions on the cultural perspectives and practices of the French. Tony also had each participant formulate their “why” for the trip and write it at the front of their travel journal. Compared to any other trip I had taken previously, these assignments did a great job of preparing the heart and mind of each student and chaperone to observe and identify deeply-embedded aspects of French life. The content of the journals and videos the students submitted at the end of the trip provided more than enough evidence for the impactfulness of the pre-trip reflection.”

Jennifer Byrd, faculty chaperone

“I must admit that, at first, I was skeptical about the benefits of communal living on international travel with students. I wasn't sure how I felt about sharing a bathroom and a bedroom with other chaperones and being on duty 24/7 with students. I changed my mind, however, after spending a leisurely morning preparing breakfast with a group of students and sitting around the large farmhouse table of our English manor house, sipping coffee, playing games, and listening to the conversations between teenagers. This time together surpassed hours of bus rides, walking tours, and motel lobby experiences for truly getting to know and learn from each other within the context of another culture. If we hadn't had this experience, we never would have understood the appreciation the British seem to have for "orange juice with bits" (aka pulp).”

Natalie Pruitt, student traveler

“Embarking on a trip that was centered on a Biblical worldview and that encouraged deep reflection forever changed the way that I travel. As a result of the journaling before, during, and after my trip to France, I walked away from the experience with not just memories, but with connection and understanding, and it is because of this that I now create a journal for every trip that I take!”