This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

Quaker Valley Students Recall Once-in-a-Lifetime Trip to Peru

After visiting Peru this summer, students and staff share their favorite parts of the trip.

Many teachers would cringe at the idea of traveling with a large group of teenagers to another continent, but , a Spanish teacher at , lives for it.

For the third summer, he's accompanied high school students to a Spanish-speaking country to learn about local culture, sightsee and practice the language. Each year, he's been astonished at how life-changing these trips are for the students.

This June, Haboush, along with two other chaperones, Quaker Valley teachers Kerry McGrath and Erik Lindemann, embarked on an 11-day with 20 high school who were seeking adventure.

Find out what's happening in Sewickleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The group covered a lot of ground in less than two weeks, including back packing in the Amazonian rainforest, climbing a mountain at Machu Picchu, sightseeing in Cuzco and rafting down the Urubamba River.

While the students' schedule was action-packed, Haboush made sure they had time to interact with locals and immerse themselves in the culture.

Find out what's happening in Sewickleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I really want the students to be able to speak without hesitation, knowing that no one is going tocorrect them,” Haboush said. “We also were able to visit a school in the Sacred Valley and bring supplies to the kids there so the students could get a good sense of what life is like there.”

Sophomore Emily Veeck said that speaking Spanish with locals was much easier than she thought it would be.

“It’s really not so intimidating, especially when you’re talking to kids,” she said. “They can usually understand what you’re trying to say even if you make a mistake.”

Junior Jon Roppo said he will always remember the trip when he looks at the souvenirs that he bought.

“I paid $130 for two handmade musical instruments, but I only brought $150 to Peru. So basically, I spent the rest of the trip with no money.”

Luckily, his friends helped him make it through the rest of the trip, especially when he fell ill during a hike due to dehydration.

“It’s great to see these kids band together and really help each other,” said Lindemann, a second-grade teacher at . “I used to teach at the middle school, so knowing these kids helps me connect with them and I’m proud of who they’re becoming.”

Students not only created closer friendships with one another, but also with their chaperones and honorary traveler, Evelyn Schurman.

Schurman, 70, is the mother of a Quaker Valley High School teacher who has always dreamed of visiting Macchu Picchu.

“She mentioned to me that if I ever planned a trip to Macchu Picchu that I should call her,” said Haboush. “So I did, and she was thrilled when I asked her to join us.”

Though she had at least 30 years on her fellow-travelers, Schurman fit right in.

“The elevation got to her a bit when we climbed the mountain near Macchu Picchu,” said chaperone McGrath, "but she was a real trooper and was so excited to be there. The students also loved having her around and wanted to do everything they could to help her out.”

When the group reached Macchu Picchu, Schurman cried tears of joy, saying that she never thought she’d make it there.

Another trip highlight occurred after Haboush secretly contacted student Rachel Manko’s Peruvian penpal.

“I called Rachel’s penpal and she came to surprise the students at a restaurant in Lima,” said Haboush. “The kids were so excited to meet her, especially Rachel, after communicating with her for so long.”

Senior Will Shoener was most taken by his new friends of another species — the monkeys in the rainforest.

“We were hiking in the rainforest and all of the sudden, a monkey would just come and sit on your shoulder,” he said. “It was pretty amazing.”

Before they left for Peru, students were already pestering Haboush about where he plans to take them next year.

“That’s what keeps me planning these trips,” Haboush said. “So many students want to come now that we have to turn some away.”

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Sewickley