With an expanding interest in study abroad programs, coordinators from around the world work to make each outbound student’s yearlong trip a memorable experience. Whether their support is through scheduling trips to visit culturally significant areas or providing funds to attend a school’s prom, each program allows the visitors to make ample use of their time in a different country.
The Mount Pleasant Rotary Club is one of those organizations. The Rotary Club coordinates with the other areas of the district, which covers around two-thirds of eastern South Carolina, they pay for a trip each year for the inbounds to experience more than just the area they are housed in.
Lou Mello, a recognized member of the club who has taken up multiple leadership positions, explained the usual itinerary for the excursion.
“They go down to Orlando on Thursday morning and return on Sunday,” Mello said. “They spend Thursday getting there and visiting the city walk, which is the area outside of the Universal parks, then they have dinner together and spend the night. The next day, they leave early for the rides.”
The trip serves as an outlet for the inbound students, allowing them to enjoy other aspects of the area they are temporarily living in, and exposing them to a fun theme park that all southern families look forward to on their own vacations.
Carolina Martinéz, an inbound student from France who recently returned from the Orlando trip, spoke highly of her experience there.
“I was really excited to go to Florida, and it was amazing,” Martinéz said. “I went with eight other students, and we had a really good trip. We enjoyed a lot of Universal Studios, and it was really nice to see, like everything you can see in the movies.”
Since the group arrives an hour early at the theme park each year, they are allowed to go on rides that would normally be difficult to get into.
“Spending the day on the roller coasters was definitely my favorite part of the trip,” Martinéz said. “It was so fun riding on them with all of my friends, and making memories.”
On Friday, the students visited the brand new park called Epic Universe, and tackled the Islands of Adventure park all of Saturday.
“Generally, the students get worn out about 6 p.m. and want to return to the hotel,” Mello said. “But this group wanted to stay till the end of the park, so they stayed until nine on Friday night and eight on Saturday night. They rode all of the rides as far as I know.”
The Orlando trip is only one of the many adventures that the visitors will encounter during their time across the globe. No matter what country the students could have landed in, each of them are rich in history and events that provide an experience that the inbounds are unlikely to forget.
“I’d like to see more high school students be aware of this opportunity that the exchange gives them,” Mello said. “You learn another language, another culture. You learn how to live with people in another country. Once you get there, and you realize how different it is, it kind of opens up your eyes to the rest of the world.”
