Ansley Paul, a senior at OCHS, has never flown, but will make two trips to Europe this summer. The first will be a part of a study abroad program with other students. (Photo/Submitted)
Ansley Paul will step onto a plane for the first time in May.
She has never been abroad, but this summer she’ll visit Europe. Twice.
Once will be as part of the study abroad trip with 18 Oglethorpe County High School students. The second time will be a graduation trip with her grandmother.
“So that felt like it would be a cool experience, especially right after graduation,” Ansley said.
Horticulture and animal science teacher Jordan Paul is one of three chaperones, along with Erin Bunch and Sara Hughes, attending the study abroad trip centered around the environment and agriculture tours.
The trip is scheduled for May 31 to June 8.
“I’m hoping that they can get a better sense of how the world operates,” Jordan said.
Jordan said this is the first time OCHS has offered a study abroad program since COVID-19.
“It is just tours and hands-on experience, getting to see what all is offered in the agriculture industry over there, but not necessarily a class course where they sit down,” Jordan said.
In fact, Jordan said, this trip is more of a field study experience. The itinerary includes visiting a dairy farm to see how cheese is made, learning from chefs by making authentic Italian dishes, observing how they make olive oil and visiting a perfume factory in France.
Ansley said she is excited to visit France and Italy, especially after hearing about the adventures the group has scheduled. The senior is being accompanied by her mother.
“She’s flown before to Texas, but that's about the farthest she's gone,” Ansley said. “So it's kind of the first-time experience for both of us.”
Ansley isn’t the only one looking forward to this trip.
“I'm actually not super well versed in agriculture, so I'm excited to personally learn more about it with the tours and stuff that we're going to be doing and see,” said Bunch, one of the OCHS counselors taking the trip.
Bunch said Jordan is already researching more trips for coming years and hopes this becomes a bi-yearly trip.
“I remember that I didn’t travel outside of the country officially for the first time until I was at the University of Georgia and I did a study abroad to Scotland,” Jordan said. “And that was one of the most impactful trips that I’ve ever been on.”
Jordan said the field studies where students can learn responsibility outside of the classroom has always stuck with her.
“I didn’t have many other opportunities to go study abroad, and I wish I would have some, ultimately, hoping that the students that go on this trip will kind of get a bug for wanting to travel the world and see what all it has to offer and go experience it,” Jordan said.
She recalls one of her favorite memories abroad was observing tea time with elementary school-aged kids. Everyone from kindergarten to fifth grade would play together without direct supervision to build skills they wouldn’t receive in a school building.
“I think that’s going to be really fun connecting the classroom to (the) real world,” Bunch said.
The school is using EF Educational Tours, a learning-based travel company out of Massachusetts. No application is required, just the desire to travel abroad and have the financial resources to fund the trip on their own.
The cost is different for each student, Jordan said.
“I really just hope that this study abroad is an opportunity for students to build that mortar, build leadership skills,” she said. “Get a thirst for knowledge that might not be offered here in the United States.”