PERU Upper level Spanish students embark on a breathtaking and unforgettable cultural excursion. By Derreatha Juarez Photos by Jater Webb ’20
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Under the direction of Professora Mary Perez-Korinko (Professora PK), Chair of the World Languages and Culture Department, for the past two years Chaminade students have enjoyed the opportunity of traveling abroad to enhance their experience with their language classes.
to a Chinese middle school where Chaminade students constructed kites with the children, stayed in the dorms with them, and created a collaborative news show. “We were completely embraced and incorporated into the activities of the school,” PK remarks, which heightened the experience for Chaminade students.
Professora, a staunch proponent of studying language in a shared environment with native speakers, has been instrumental in organizing the recent cultural excursions. In the spring of 2018, she and the Vice-Principal, Mrs. Lisa Magorien, inaugurated the travel program by chaperoning 22 students on an unforgettable trip to China. The five students on the trip who studied Chinese were able to converse and use their language skills with the Chinese natives, and all of the students were, according to Professora, “excited to learn in a completely new world while broadening their cultural horizons.” The highlight of the China trip was their visit
In the spirit of continuing global learning, this past spring of 2019, Professora PK, Mrs. Magorien, and Spanish instructor, Mr. Alex McKay, escorted 21 Chaminade students on a ten-day, breathtaking visit to Peru. From eating alpaca and guinea pig to using their Spanish while bargaining with street vendors, students were immersed in the Peruvian culture. Each of the adults in attendance reflected that the two visits to Machu Picchu were the most memorable of the trip. McKay notes that “to be walking on one of the Seven Wonders of the World is such a unique experience,” and PK adds that the “sacredness of the space was moving
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