Emily Andrysick’s five-week trip to Greece included a ten-day community service project at the American Farm School in Thessaloniki, another project in a much smaller village during their homestay, a tour of the country’s sites, and a final climb up Mount Olympus—mythical home of the gods. “The eight-hour trek up Greece’s tallest mountain was unlike anything I’ve ever even attempted to do before,” she says.
Jason Kim traveled to the Galápagos Islands on a three-week program with Lifeworks. “Since we were working with the national park, we had some privileges that average tourists don’t have,” he says, “like touching the giant tortoises.” The group also worked to remove invasive plants and planted native ones; worked at local schools, painting, playing with children; and learned about the islands—while working on their tans on the beach.
Hillary Simpson spent eight days in Costa Rica living at a sea turtle conservatory in Punta Judas. Working with the Coast Guard, she cleared brush to expand the hatchery, constructed baskets to place on relocated turtle nests, and went on “turtle patrol.” Her most memorable experience was rescuing eggs from a nest as the mother was laying them. “It was such a surreal experience to have a living, breathing sea turtle right in front of me,” she says. “She laid about 115 eggs, and I placed each of them in a plastic bag to be transported to the hatchery. I left feeling informed and now carry a sense of accomplishment that I was able to make a difference.”
. Max Biedermann (at right) worked as a governor’s page in North Carolina. “It was very rewarding and provided a great insight into how the state government works,” he says. His main responsibility was delivering mail for the secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety, but he also got the chance to work side by side with real detectives one day, working in the department of Alcohol Enforcement. He also got to meet the state’s attorney general.
m Andrew Kazakoff (at left) went to Israel to play squash in the World Maccabiah Games. “Our team received gold in the team competition for junior squash,” he says. The opening ceremonies were held at Ramat Gan Stadium. “The best part,” he adds, “was having the chance to interact with so many different Jewish people from all around the world.”