STUDENTS PREPARE FOR TRIP OF A LIFETIME

For Jackson High School students Denny Stortz, Vince Sievers, Rose Southerland and Matthew Zschille this summer won't be spent idling away time in Jackson waiting for school to start anew.

No these students are in the process of raising the money to embark on a European discovery with the People to People Student Ambassador Program.

They will go to Europe July 7 and return July 27. While there they will visit France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Germany.

The students learned of this year's trip in October and each one was wanting to go from day one.

The People to People organization meets with the students and their parents each month to prepare the soon-to-be world travelers for their trek.

They learn a little bit about the basics of the foreign languages they will need and they learn more about the places they are going.

Stortz, who aspires to be a meteorologist, wants to go to Europe to see what the weather is like there and to learn about the cultures. He also is a history buff and he is looking forward to seeing the concentration camps at Munich, Germany.

Zschille is excited about staying with a family in Austria, which is a part of the trip.

Sievers is interested in meeting new people and seeing things half way around the world. He's especially interested in the Sistine Chapel and the Eiffel Tower.

Southerland said she can't wait to see all the artwork that she's read about all of her life. She's also not been anywhere but Missouri and Illinois, so this trip will be a great new experience for her.

One of the things the students are asked to do is to raise the money for the trip on their own.

Zschille said raising the money hasn't been a problem. Sievers is saving money from his job to help offset the cost of the trip which is more than $4,000.

Southerland and her family held a garage sale to raise some money and she plans raise more funds in the next few weeks.

Stortz said he's only raised $400 so far and he was hoping to find some sponsors in the area.

His mother Loretta Proffer, who also hopes some sponsors will come forward, said, "he will go. This is a dream for him and it will come true."

The program offers an exciting and challenging project that combines a strong educational focus with many fun activities.

One of the features of the trip is allowing the students to stay with a family for a few days in Austria. In the other cities the students will stay in hotels and see the sights.

Last year the program took Jackson students and students from around the country to Australia.

Day by Day Itinerary

1 Depart U.S. for Paris, France

2 Arrive Paris

3 Paris

4 Paris

5 Paris to Swiss Alps

6 Swiss Alps to Salzburg, Austria

7 Salzburg

8 day trip from Salzburg to Munich, Germany

9 Austrian homestays

10 homestays

11 homestays

12 homestays

13 homestays to Vienna, Austria

14 Vienna

15 Vienna to Venice, Italy

16 Venice

17 Venice to Florence, Italy

18 day trip to Pisa and Toscana from Florence

19 Florence to Rome, Italy

20 Rome

21 Depart Rome for the U.S.