Traveling can be an amazing experience for many students. It gives students an opportunity to learn about culture, art, and lifestyles. Travel Club opens up opportunities to meet like-minded individuals within a similar age range. They’re more than just a social platform; they cater to diverse interests, from learning tours and adventure.
Lakeview’s Travel Club offers a platform where members can connect, exchange ideas, and foster camaraderie over a shared love for travel. Group travel enhances the overall travel experience. Shared experiences form lasting memories and deepen bonds, turning acquaintances into lifelong friends. Travel clubs can also fulfill an educational or organizational mission. They can offer trips aligned with the interests or values of civic organizations, schools, or churches, making each journey more meaningful and enriching.
Club members can pool their resources and knowledge, simplifying planning and ensuring everyone’s interests are met. In today’s digital age, travelers are inundated with many choices, making it challenging to make informed decisions. With their collective wisdom and shared experiences, Lakeview’s Travel Club helps members make wise travel decisions.
As for myself, I have had the privilege of attending many trips and more soon to come. I have spent time in Paris, London, Ireland, and most recently Australia. During the summer of 2024, travelers will be heading to Costa Rica, Paris, and Mediterranean Europe. The summer of 2025 will bring an extensive trip to Greece, South Africa in 2026, and Australia and New Zealand in 2027.
Co-President Clover Wagner expresses her opinion about previous and upcoming trips. Wagner states “In June of 2022, I went to Ireland, London, and Paris and in June of 2023, I attended the Travel Club’s trip to Australia. My favorite part of the trips was getting to understand other cultures. While on the trips, I noticed how open other places are to diversity and acceptance. I also loved getting to explore new areas while making friends. I became very close to my travel members and I would never trade the experience. This summer I will be attending the trip to Costa Rica and I am beyond excited for another experience, I recommend joining Travel Club to anyone that is interested.”
Travel Club isn’t limited to those who spend their school days in Lakeview High School; Lakeview students who attend Trumbull Career and Technical Center are also able to join the Club. Tristen Townsend is a junior at TCTC as well as a Travel Club member. Townsend says, “Last summer I went on the Australia trip with Lakeview Travel Club. It was the first trip I attended and it was so much fun. My favorite part was getting to try something new and experience it with my friends.”
Finally hearing from the group leader herself. Kelly Prokop expresses what encouraged her to become a travel Club leader. Prokop states, “I was an exchange student my senior year of high school in Australia. Then after I became a teacher at Bazetta Elementary, I worked for a similar company and I took students from several schools in the area to many different countries. I have been taking students from Lakeview to different countries since 2022. Travel Club began with Dino Haidaris who graduated last year. I don’t mean to speak for him but I know he loves to travel and he knew how the experience helped students grow and mature beyond what happens during the school year. I am the group leader of these trips because I want students to have the same opportunities to travel and see the world outside of Cortland, Ohio. My favorite part is getting to know the students outside of the school setting. Spending time with them allows me to see them become confident, self-sufficient, kinder, self-aware, less egocentric and so much more!”
The Lakeview Travel Club’s focus is to promote enthusiasm for places beyond our comfort zone through exploration, planning, food, music, and real-world travel. It encourages empathy, deepens your understanding, increases self-awareness, makes you more creative, increases trust, and makes you more grounded. Joining Lakeview High School’s Travel Club will expand your knowledge of the world around you, understand new people, places, and cultures, discover more about yourself, and grow more confident and independent.
All interested students are welcome to travel. The year of graduation will affect which trips students are eligible for but all students are encouraged to express their interest to Travel Club leader, Kelly Prokop and gain the befits the club has to offer.
