Spending summer overseas
While most students spend their summer days playing volleyball on the beach, spending time with family and friends or taking summer classes, some adven- turous Samo students will embark on exciting new journeys traveling abroad, immersing themselves in unknown cultures and giving back to those in need.
Giving back in Guatemala"I’m a little nervous because I’ve never been out of the country, but I’m excited to step outside my comfort zone and experience something new and hopefully improve my Spanish. I know that the country is very beautiful, although there are some parts that are less fortunate and could really use our help.”
Amy Moton (’16) will venture into the sun-scorched, forested country of Guatemala. When The Walking Tree, an organization committed to provid- ing travel abroad opportunities for high school students, came to Samo, Mo- ton was inspired by the culture of Guatemala and motivated by the once-in- a-lifetime opportunity to offer help to a community in need. During her trip,
Moton will tour the cities of Guatemala, teach children English, paint schools and build houses. Moton will stay with a host family, which will allow her to improve her Spanish. In preparation for her trip, Moton has been practicing Spanish street lingo using the app Duolingo. Moton will have to pack lightly as she will be carrying all her belongings with her on long hikes.
Maintaining Mombasa
"I am most looking forward to being surrounded by a myriad of cultures from around the world, in a place so foreign to me, and being able to work with these students who share my passion for service, leadership and desire to improve the quality of life of those living in the developing world. At this point, I am too excited and optimistic to feel nervous about anything. However, I am sure that the week before I leave all the nerves will start piling up.”
Inaara Hashim (’16 ) and 60 other high school students from 23 different coun- tries will stay in Mombasa, Kenya for a month under the Global Encounters pro- gram. In Mombasa, Hashim will carry out community service projects while learning about the various steps that the Aga Khan Development Network and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in East Africa have taken to
combat local issues. In addition, Hashim will be enrolled in academic courses and seminars that will allow her to develop values, perspective and skills that can be applied to her service work in Santa Monica when she returns home. Hashim will be immersed in the culture of Africa, learning Swahili and traditional Afri- can dances.
Sojourn in Sweden
“Last summer, I did the same program but in Spain and had a phenom- enal experience. I love to travel, and the summer between high school and college is the perfect time to do so. I thought the exchange to Sweden would be an especially great experience because I most likely wouldn’t have the chance to travel there [again].The Rotary Exchange is a fantastic opportunity to truly live in a different cultural environment and create long lasting global relationships.”
Abby Wisen (’15) will venture to Nykoping, Sweden — a small town with a popula- tion of 29,800. Wisen gained the opportunity to travel to Sweden through the Rotary Exchange, a program dedicated to giving high schoolers the opportunity to travel globally and experience new cultures by staying with host families. Through the pro- gram, Wisen will stay with a Swedish host family and later bring her host sister with her back to Santa Monica for three weeks. After Wisen had the opportunity to partici- pate in the Rotary Exchange last summer when she traveled to Spain, she was inspired
to participate again. While in Nykoping, Wisen will immerse herself in the Swedish culture by shadowing her host family and performing daily household tasks. Luckily for Wisen, who does not speak any Swedish, her host family is flfluent in English and will assist her in getting around the foreign country. In addition, although the weather in Sweden in summer will be relatively moderate, Wisen is currently packing many layers of clothing in case of cold weather. Wisen is also planning to bring her host family gifts from America.