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During Spring Break this year, sixteen of the Rosman High School National Honors Society students headed to the Florida Keys for a five day trip. Experiences during the trip ranged from beach time with snorkeling, feeding sharks at an aquarium, visiting a Wild Bird Sanctuary, a Dolphin Center, a day trip to the Dry Tortugas National Park, an airboat ride and alligator show in the everglades, and two service projects: creating paper mache treat eggs for the birds in care at the Rehabilitation Center and volunteering at one of the RCMA preschools for children of migrant workers. And of course, the BEST Key Lime Pie at the Blonde Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory since you cannot go to the Keys without having Key Lime Pie!
The guide from our tour company bragged on our students stating that they were her favorite because they made the best of everything (weather was not always super cooperative) and truly seemed excited and interested in all the activities they experienced. For the adult chaperones, the quality time we got to spend with our students was the highlight. Between “family” game nights, laughing until our stomachs hurt, to deep conversations about college and the future, the time we had with these students was priceless. Mrs. Wynn’s highlight was most likely getting to see her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson who live in the Keys!
This trip was made possible by numerous community donations and students working to earn money to pay for their trip through fundraisers. When asked what about the best, most memorable, most rewarding, most exciting part of our trip was, here are their responses:
“My favorite part was getting to see Fort Jefferson, the dolphins, and holding the baby alligator.” - Emma Moretz, Junior
“I have always been interested in marine life and going to the coast. The Keys is a whole different world when I was down there. Getting to see the vibrant clear blue crystal waters with the exotic life it holds was truly magnificent and a treat. “ - James Madden, Senior
“The most memorable part of the trip for me was going to the Dry Tortugas. I enjoyed swimming at the beach and seeing the wildlife. It was awesome to know that Fort Jefferson has stayed the same for centuries. “ - Rylee Cochran, Senior
“The most exciting part of the trip for me was the day we boated out to Fort Jefferson and got to explore the island for the whole day, as well as snorkeling around the entire fort. The most rewarding experience was getting to volunteer at the RCMA facilities, getting the chance to play with the kids and help them learn. The most memorable experience would be snorkeling at John Pennekamp State Park because it was our first snorkeling venture of the trip and I had never saw so many upside down jellyfish before in my life!”
-Alissa Cheek, Junior
“The most rewarding part of our trip for me was getting to volunteer at RCMA, not only was it fun to get to work with the kids, it was also a great experience to get to see the impact that RCMA and places like it have on these kids and their families along with the impact we, as volunteers, had on these kids.” - Arie Leonard, Junior
“The most rewarding part of the trip to me was helping the children at the RCMA. They were so kind hearted and smart. I loved seeing the smiles on their faces and that made me smile as well. I was so glad that I was able to make a difference!” - Madisyn Owen, Senior
“I loved going to the day care and taking care of the children! They were so adorable and it was definitely rewarding to help out. It honestly felt relatable, being a kid from immigrant parents and having to learn English while just knowing Spanish. it was a great experience!” - Quiriat Enriquez, Senior
“I had so much fun with all the activities especially the snorkeling at the Dry Tortugas and the RCMA volunteering. Being surrounded by friends for a week was also fun.” - Alex Jenkins, Junior
“My most rewarding experience from the trip was going to the Dry Tortugas and getting to snorkel, see all kinds of marine life, and the amazing fort on the island while learning about its historical significance.” Marisa Cole, Junior
“My most memorable part of the trip would be RMCA and to get to see how excited the kids were to have some one to play with, as well as the dolphins and how the trainers have made strong connections with each and every dolphin. All around just giving back to others was a great experience to be apart of.” - Annie Blankenship, Sophomore
“My favorite part of our trip was working with the kids from the RCMA program! For me it was very rewarding and I feel like I made an impact in those kids life. Even though there was a language barrier and I didn’t completely understand everything that was going on I will always remember that trip and making those personal connections with them. It was definitely an experience that I’ll remember for the rest of my life!” -Reagan Chapman, Senior
‘The best part of the trip for me was the trip to the Dry Tortugas. I loved being able to climb up Fort Jefferson and look at the view of the island from the top of it. I also loved how clear the water was there, and how perfect it was for snorkeling.” - Elijah Chapman, Senior