STEM+M students take annual trip abroad

SOUTH POINT — Navigating through the changing regulations in multiple countries through a pandemic was a very time-consuming process for the planners of Tri-State STEM+M Early College High School’s annual trip abroad.

This year, 15 individuals, including students and adults, were able to travel to portions of England, France and Italy for a 10-day tour of the included countries.

The year was very different than the previous trip abroad, due to the ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions. It was especially tedious with the regulations differing per country.

The participants went in with an understanding that every aspect of the trip could change all the way up until the day they left, including changes while abroad.

“With all of the uncertainty in our current world, we were in constant fear that our trip would be postponed or canceled,” Shelby Davidson, STEM+M director, who was involved in all the planning said. “There were several additional planning requirements that our travel company put into place. We had to ensure that each individual traveler was following the requirements perfectly in order to go. Thankfully, our students and parents were more than willing to meet all necessary requirements to make sure our trip happened.”

Annie Piaskowski, going into her third year at STEM+M, was also worried that the trip would be canceled early on, but was relieved that the school and tour group were able to continue with it.

The original tour included a night train from Paris to Milan. However, the train was suspended due to the pandemic and the mode of transportation was changed to an additional flight. The students became somewhat used to the constant shifting of plans and rolled with it without a complaint.

The significant popular destinations visited included the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, France; the Colosseum, in Rome, Italy; the Sistine Chapel, in Vatican City — and one that was not in the itinerary was the Pope.

Noah Woods, a 2022 graduate of Tri-State STEM+M, states that his favorite part of the trip was London, England, with the mix of old and modern building styles. This was similar to another 2022 graduate, Drew Fryer, who was intrigued by the differing architecture of all of the destinations.

The students were able to take part in many of the local activities and have a glimpse of the differing lifestyles than what they are used to here in our country. Some of those included the food, navigating through different currencies, the language, history and culture.

“This trip was truly a once in a lifetime trip! Except for me, I get to go again in 2023 with our next crew of students,” Davidson said. “Even our new students enrolling this fall will have the opportunity to go if they choose. London, Paris, Florence and Rome — Tri-State STEM+M will be back in 2023. If you’re interested in opportunities such as this for your students’ high school career, come take a tour and learn more about our school!”

A tour of the school can be scheduled anytime at 740-377-4433.