From England to Peru, Greenwich Academy Upper School students have been traveling avidly for the past three months. School-arranged trips provided girls with an array of exciting and inspiring experiences.
England
As classes drew to a close in June, the Varsity Crew team, coached by Mr. Nathan Kress and Mrs. Kristen Erickson, began training for its debut at the Henley Women’s Regatta, on the Thames River in England. The team had one four and one eight-person boat enrolled in the competition and was ecstatic to race in such a historic setting.
The ten-day trip began with the Marlow Regatta on Dorney Lake, a site of the 2012 London Olympics. GA rowers in the eight narrowly missed first place in their 1,000-meter finals with a time of 3.36, one second behind the winner. Facing tough competition, the four placed last with a final time of 7.15. They were proud just to row on such an illustrious course.
After a few days of practicing at the Marlow Rowing Club, the team began preparing for its competition the following weekend on the Henley 1,500-meter course.
Racing side by side, the two competing crews battled their way down the river. The event was such a tremendous experience for the GA crew team, it didn’t matter neither crew won.
Eliot Johnson, Group XII rower, remarked that it was “so cool to be right by the course,” as the river runs directly through the quaint town of Henley.
Peru
Led by Mr. Charles Alt, the Peru trip to the Amazon was an enriching experience. Students took part in unique activities, such as surveying the pink and grey dolphins, searching for animal habitats on land, and watching birds. Over the course of two weeks, they studied how climate change in the Peruvian Amazon has affected local wildlife.
The participants shared a boat in the uninhabited reserve with a few other schools. Sarah Saco, XI, remarked that the Peruvians staying onboard were extremely friendly and shared interesting stories about their culture and love for the Amazon. She added that the trip left her with more “knowledge in biology and the environment” and that the experience was a great motivator for “putting yourself out there by asking questions and thinking outside of the box.”
New Orleans
Traveling closer to home with Ms. Kelly Teagarden and Ms. Sarah Holzschuh, a group of GA seniors made their way to New Orleans in June. Girls on the trip built houses with Habitat for Humanity, while getting a flavor for Southern culture. The group floored and painted two houses, later adding finishing touches on the homes.
“We all really genuinely enjoyed building the houses, and it was especially special when we got to meet the owners of the houses who would come and work with us,” said Kate Tormey, XII.
The girls also had opportunities to explore: a trip to Mardi Gras World to learn how the annual floats are constructed, a Swamp Tour to observe alligators, and a Ghost Tour through the French Quarter to hear stories of haunted buildings in the city. The trip wrapped up on a high note when girls filmed a Harlem Shake video at the construction site.
