Students work hard to take trip

With the school year safely behind us and another one on the horizon, it is time to send a heartfelt thanks to those students, teachers, business owners and community members who have been helping in our quest.
 
At San Luis High School, a group of hardworking and academically successful students are working hard to put together the trip of a lifetime. I, as their teacher and mentor, find their willingness to work hard and make this trip happen a learning experience in itself.
 
These students began planning and working in January of this year for an 8-day, 7-night tour of several historical East Coast cities (Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.). This trip, as most educational trips do, will allow these students to connect what was simply read about and discussed with the actual people and places of importance. These students have planned the trip, including many major historical stops, including Boston Harbor, Independence Hall and Jamestown.
 
The trip has a price tag, as they all do, and the student have been hard at work finding and raising the money for this trip. Multiple fundraisers, tax credits and business donors have helped them raise close to $3,000 already (that's almost two full student trips).
 
Now that it is summer, fundraising has slowed down, but many of these students have chosen to get summer jobs to help raise the money they need for this trip. It is incredible the lengths these students are going to in order to take this trip. In the Advanced Placement U.S. history class last year, students read about the beginnings of the country and are anxious to actually feel and experience those historical places next spring.
 
We still have a long way to go - our lofty goal is to raise all the money for the trip (close to $60,000) - and the students and communities of San Luis, Somerton and Yuma are working hard to make it happen.
 
I would like to thank my students for realizing the history of the U.S. is relevant and necessary to anything one wishes to accomplish - after all knowing where one comes from and where one might go is key to making life happen! I also would like to thank them for being willing to work so hard - on top of their advanced placement work, all the students going on the trip have met to plan and work all fundraisers.
 
I would also like to thank those businesses and community organizations who have already helped us working towards our goal: Golden Corral, San Luis Joe Orduno Park, San Luis High School and teachers/administrators, many community members who have donated their tax credits and the students. Keep up the work, we will make it and look forward to informing the community of our experiences.


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ANGELA QUIRAM
San Luis, Ariz.