Throughout the summer, several groups from HHS had the opportunity to travel. Herrin High School’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter was active during the summer. From June 29 to July 2, seven Herrin FBLA members had the privilege of attending the National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California. These students competed with more than 16,000 high schoolers from all across the country.
Herrin’s FBLA advisor, Missy Webb, emphasized the significance of being able to attend this conference. To even qualify, competitors went up against 1500 students at the Spring Illinois State Leadership Conference in their respective events. “We haven’t attended the National Conference since 2017, so it’s been a long time since this opportunity has presented itself”, Webb said.
Webb also emphasized the work and dedication that the students demonstrated to make the trip a success. During the summer, they worked diligently to raise money and even hosted a pickleball fundraising event during Herrinfesta.
The seven students who qualified competed in five different events. Cooper Christ (12), Gracie Craft (12), and Maddie Martin (12) competed in Hospitality and Event Management. Nolen Frost (11) competed in Intro to FBLA. Emily Hosmon competed in Future Business Leader. Tyson Hopper completed his Capstone Project. Russell Caldwell competed in Computer Problem Solving. The conference also included educational workshops and sessions.
Not all of the six-day trip was spent at the conference, though. While in Anaheim, students got the chance to explore some of the famous landmarks and tourist destinations, such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Santa Monica Pier. One evening, the group got to attend FBLA night at the Angels game. Ultimately, the most memorable experience for many in the group was spending a full day at Disneyland and Downtown Disney.
“My favorite part of the trip was definitely getting to meet new people and make connections with them, said qualifier Maddie Martin. “The tests were difficult, but we performed well. Ultimately, the whole trip was a lot of fun”.
Qualifier Nolen Frost agreed. “This (conference) was the biggest FBLA event in the country. I enjoyed the time at the conference and the experience in general”.
As the trip concluded, the students took home more than souvenirs. They brought with them the many memories made and experiences gained. “This trip was educational, challenging, and fun. I hope that we can go again soon in the future and have even more qualifiers,” Webb concluded.
The HHS Spanish Travel Club was also active this summer. The group, led by Sra.Estes went on an eight-day trip to Puerto Rico from June 9 to June 17.
“Puerto Rico was always a destination I wanted to visit and learn more about and with students, especially… I looked up videos about the places we were going to visit and discovered there was even more to see than I had thought about previously, such as the rainforest.” Says Sra.Estes about why she chose Puerto Rico as the Spanish travel club destination.
The club gathered at the St. Louis airport at 3:30 am to depart for San Juan, Puerto Rico. Instead of flying there directly, the travelers had to board a connecting flight to Chicago at 6 am. After that, there was a very short, half-hour layover before a nearly five-hour flight that finally brought the travelers to their destination by 2 pm.
The first day after arriving was mostly spent waiting, as this trip was shared with several other groups. During this time, the Herrin group, along with a group from Tennessee, spent the day visiting local shops and restaurants. After the arrival of a group from North Dakota, everyone ate together as a large group until heading to the hotel to settle in for the night.
The second day started early with a hike through El Yunque, the only rainforest national park in the US. The travelers got to climb up a tower to see unique views of the City of San Juan. It was also possible to see the rainforest and the surrounding beaches from the tower. After leaving the rainforest, students had the opportunity to spend time at the beach, where they could enjoy food stands offering snacks and drinks. The day ended with a kayaking trip to see La Parguera in Lajas, one of three bioluminescent bays located in Puerto Rico. The kayaking was enjoyed by everyone, even though there wasn’t much of a glow that night.
Day three kicked off with a boating and snorkeling excursion on an island. On the island, there was a variety of marine life and different creatures. Some people chose to snorkel at a coral reef while others paddleboarded around the beach. Everyone gathered at the T-Mobile District for dinner.
The tour on the fourth day began with a zipline tour, which was a thrilling experience for everyone who chose it. The rest of the day was spent sightseeing through much of San Juan, which started with a guided tour of El Castillo San Cristobal. While sightseeing, the travelers also went to shops and restaurants, which offered a chance to explore the city. Some even visited La Casa Blanca, the house built for explorer Ponce de León.
When asked what the biggest difference he noticed was, Junior Nolen Frost said there was “Much more Spanish than in the United States. I was expecting more, but not as much as I saw. And a lot of interesting architecture.”
On day five, the group toured multiple local caves filled with bugs, bats, and even a couple of snakes. They then had a short pit stop at a restaurant before arriving in Ponce. At Ponce, the group saw El Parque de Bombas, which was Puerto Rico’s first firehouse. They also got to see the Lions Fountain, Ponce Cathedral, and Casa Alcadia. That evening, the group shared one last dinner for the trip.
The last day of the trip started with a small tour of Taino Ceremonial Park, an indigenous heritage center with many interesting artifacts. Soon after, the travelers headed back to the airport to prepare to head home. After a long layover in North Carolina, the group finally made it back home.
Herrin High School alumnus, Kaleb Yoast, said his favorite part of the trip was “when we went to San Juan and got to walk around the neighborhood for the afternoon because we got to explore and experience the culture of Puerto Rico.”
As the school year begins, the travelers from both trips take their memories from the summer and look forward to what next summer brings.
