Students set to see the world:

By Christina Torres:

Amarillo College students will have the chance to travel overseas during the 2017-2018 school year.

The college is sponsoring two trips—one strictly for the Presidential Scholars and one open to any student with a GPA of 2.5 or above.

The first trip will take place in January when the Presidential Scholars travel to the Dominican Republic. For eight days, the Scholars will explore the Caribbean nation and participate in a service project there.

“We are going to be working with an organization called Outreach360,” Lesley Ingham, Honors/Scholars Program co-coordinator, said. “We will be teaching and leading lesson plans along with songs, crafts and sports.”

For many of the Scholars, this is their first time out of the United States. Several said they are excited about the opportunity.

“I think it will be a fantastic experience,” Olivia Moctezuma, a psychology major, said. “It’s good to learn about other people and experience new things,” she said, noting that she expects the people, culture and environment to be different from what she is accustomed to in Amarillo.

The Scholars Program is a small application-only learning community for academically exceptional students.

The Scholars coordinators select students on the basis of their academic achievement, their leadership abilities and their desire to serve others.

Education major Hayley Ingram said she is glad she applied for the program and she encourages other students to do the same. “Don’t miss out on the opportunity to try new things and meet some amazing people along the way,” Ingram said.

Students who are not members of the Presidential Scholars will also have the chance to take an educational journey outside of the country. AC will be sponsoring a trip to Paris during spring break.

This trip will coincide with several course offerings during the first eight weeks of spring semester that will focus on issues and topics related to Paris and will prepare students to go overseas.

“We plan to offer about four classes that will connect to the Paris trip,” Jill Gibson, Honors/Scholars co-coordinator said.

“Students who enroll in those classes aren’t obligated to travel, but it will be a great opportunity for them to expand their global awareness and cultural sensitivity,” Gibson said.

Organizers estimate the cost of the trip to be approximately $3,900. Students may be able to apply for a small traveler’s scholarship.  For more details about the Paris trip, feel free to contact Ingham at honors@actx.edu.

As Saint Augustine once said, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Similarly, India’s first prime minister, Jawaharia Nehru, encouraged people to see as much of the world as possible, saying,

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure, There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them.”

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