In the November issue of The Red & Gold, GAC’s student newsletter, the team conducted interviews with students who attended GAC’s Learning Excursions. From this, the student-led team created an article to highlight a handful of learning excursion experiences. Below, we’ve included the student-written article for you to enjoy, and we hope it gives you a glimpse into the amazing Learning Excursions our students have the opportunity to attend.

Colter Landon (10th Grade) went on the Banff, Canada trip this year. His favorite part of the trip was “definitely the sights that we saw on our hikes… I had never seen anything like it and it was truly amazing to see the lakes, mountains, and wilderness.” Colter explains the reason he chose Banff was because his parents had been before and told him it was “beautiful and a once in a lifetime opportunity”. He says that “many of my friends” had convinced him to go as well. Colter would “definitely recommend this trip to students next year, explaining that “you can see so many things, spend time with friends, and should go because you might never have this opportunity again”. Some of the activities Colter and the group got to do were to take “multiple hikes through mountains and valleys, go on a boat tour, and go curling in downtown Banff”. He had a lot of fun on the snowy hikes and seeing really amazing views.

Ayaan Valiani (12th Grade) went to Universal Studios, Orlando, the senior only trip, and had such a blast! Ayaan says his favorite part of the Orlando trip “was building greater relationships with those around him” and of course “all the rollercoasters”. Ayaan explains he chose this trip because it's a “senior tradition” and wonders “who wouldn’t want to go to Universal?”. Ayaan would “absolutely recommend this trip”  because it is “seniors only” and “being with your own grade is a major part of why Universal is so fun”.

Emma Kelly (10th Grade) went to Chicago and loved getting to see the big city for the first time! Emma’s favorite part of her trip to Chicago was “the freedom given to go and explore the city”. She chose Chicago because she had “never seen the city before”. Emma would recommend people to go to Chicago next year because she “got to meet so many new people”. She enjoyed their ride on the river cruise, shopping in the city, visiting the pier, and going to see a Harry Potter play.

Ellie Challas (12th) went to Yosemite this year and she loved it! Her favorite part of the trip was when she and her friends “went on a hike and decided to get in a river, having fun and laying on the rocks”. Ellie chose Yosemite “to get closer with her friends, enjoy time in nature, and just have fun”. Ellie would recommend the trip to “incoming students” because she had such a great time! Her favorite activities were “hiking, swimming, and the evening devotionals”. Ellie was surprised by how well she bonded with other students on the trip even though it was a large group.

Morganne Shoop (10th) took a road trip for learning excursions this year, stopping by a number of different colleges in the South! Her favorite part of the trip was “visiting Samford because she realized that although it was a smaller college, it was still large enough for her to meet new people everyday”. Morganne says that some of the colleges they visited were “slightly overwhelming”, but she recommends the trip for students “who want to learn what they’re looking for in a school”. Her favorite activity of the trip was “talking to college students at Samford” because it helped her decide if she could see herself there in the future.

Natalia Miretsky (11th) went to the Big Apple and had the best time! Her favorite part of the New York Trip was “meeting the Broadway actors” she saw on stage for all the shows she had the opportunity to see. Natalia chose this trip because “she went on it last year and loved the city and Broadway”. She also said seeing musical performances from some of the “best musicians" was an “amazing experience”. Natalia would “definitely” recommend this trip because “it has everything: shopping, exploring a beautiful city, breathtaking performances, and really good food”. She grew closer to her current friends, but also bonded with people she didn’t know, even making connections with some of the teacher chaperones!

Katelyn Brantley (9th) and Apollo Covey (9th) went to Central Florida this year with the rest of the freshmen class! Both Katelyn and Apollo said their favorite parts of the trip to Tampa was getting to go to Busch Gardens and enjoy the roller coasters. Katelyn says next year she wants to go to Banff because she’s “always wanted to go to Canada because it’s beautiful, so it’s a great opportunity”. Apollo on the other hand, says next year he’d like to go to Chicago, but if he could ever plan a learning excursion himself he thinks a trip to the Dominican Republic would be fun and unique!

To learn more about GAC’s learning excursions, check this out.