This April, four groups of Upper School students, paired with faculty/staff trip leaders, traveled to Botswana, Colombia, Japan, and Lithuania on Global Link, UPrep’s signature global education program. During these 10- to 12-days trips, the students were challenged to immerse themselves in the host communities in order to build meaningful relationships, learn about themselves, and appreciate complex histories and different perspectives. Hosted by students from the Maru-a-Pula School in Gaborone, Colegio San Jose in Barranquilla, Keimei Gauken in Kobe, and Ziburys Gimnazija in Prienai, the UPrep teams came back with incredible memories and made a huge impression during their visits. 

“All of our partner schools were so impressed with our students’ capacity for kindness, curiosity, engagement, and authenticity,” said Brian Gonzales, UPrep’s director of innovation and experiential education. “Global Link is hard work, and each group of students worked together to make the most of this experience.”

Below, students and trip leaders share some of their experiences from these life-changing adventures.

Colombia

By Olivia C., Aida R., and Cesar S. M., 12th grade; Yedidia A. and Ella K., 11th grade; Umu A. and Jin H., 10th grade

The beach outing was the first time we spent the day together since our arrival in Colombia. Our host siblings all had a test at school on Saturday, so our host moms decided to take us all out to the beach. Although we all knew each other, our time together that day strengthened our bond with each other and our host moms. We played in the waves with our host little brothers, created sculptures in the sand, and ate freshly caught fried fish. 

Another memorable experience was the bus ride to Cartagena with the Paraguayan students who were visiting Colombia at the same time. We had already talked to them a bit but had yet to have a chance to get to know them. The bus ride helped us better understand each other’s culture and grow closer through our musical interests. We introduced them to popular American music while they shared trending songs in Paraguay.

These experiences were examples of building meaningful relationships within our group and with others we met while in Colombia. To do this, we had to expand our comfort zones around communicating with others and finding common ground. One commonality between the beach day and the bus trip to Cartagena was that both involved relatively long, unstructured periods of time. While the fast-paced, activity-filled days were also fulfilling, these slower moments where we could connect and build relationships made the trip unique.             

Throughout this trip, each of us learned that it was okay to leave your comfort zone, and as a result, we explored a beautiful city, made lots of friends, and tried a new cuisine. Although these are beneficial, they make leaving much harder. We never thought people we met ten days earlier would bring so many tears to our eyes, but we had grown so close with our hosts that we didn’t want to leave. Host families had accepted us as their own family and treated us as their own for those ten days. One of the hosts told us, “Don’t be sad it ended; be happy that it happened,” so we left on a good note. Ultimately, we made everlasting memories that we will hold with us forever.

Japan

By Ty Talbot, Trip Leader and UPrep Dean of Faculty

Nine UPrep students and their two intrepid leaders embraced Japanese culture with open hearts on a whirlwind trip through Kobe, Japan. From meeting our host families and experiencing a vibrant school assembly to trying on traditional kimonos at the beautiful Ikuta Shrine, each moment was filled with joy, discovery, and incredible graciousness from our hosts.

Venturing out with our host families, we immersed ourselves in local activities while also getting a firsthand look at what school is like in Japan. Hint: the classes are packed, the students work hard, the days are long. With guidance from our wonderful hosts at Keimei Gakuin, an independent school on the outskirts of Kobe, we explored the depths of Kobe and Osaka in search of “deep Japan” (as our host teacher, Steven Dunk, would say), visiting sites such as the Nunobiki Herb Garden, Himeji Castles, and the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Museum. Along the way, we tried amazing foods, from sushi and ramen to shrimp-flavored snacks and sweet potato-based desserts. Below are some student highlights and reflections from the trip.

“There isn’t anything I would be more thankful for than my host-family. Upon arriving at the Kobe Airport nerves were in the air all throughout our group. But as I left the airport with my family, I realized that they didn’t know too much English, so there was a huge language barrier between us. It didn’t stop me at all from enjoying the festivities, dinner nights, intense card games at 11:00 p.m.. A type of connection words can’t express, but the experience spoke for itself.  I'm grateful for embracing change and getting out of my comfort zone. –Faysal F., 11th grade

“The hosts we stayed with are cousins who live on the same street, so we spent all of Sunday together. We first went to our host families’ church, which was a very different experience for both of us, but we immediately felt welcomed by the community. We played a game of charades—an activity that transcended language barriers and helped us create a connection with the other people there. We joined in an Easter egg hunt and played games with the other teenagers. The congregation also included us in their moving-up ceremony; the Japanese school year had just started, so everyone had just advanced a grade. Our hosts walked with us to get udon for lunch after church. That day was filled with so much fun spent together, from attending church and enjoying lunch to going shopping and watching their tennis practice. It truly was a memorable day of bonding and shared experiences. The highlight of the day was the family barbecue, where meeting each other's host families proved to be a warm and welcoming experience filled with fun interactions among everyone. We even played Mario Party together with our hosts and their siblings after the barbecue. That day was very meaningful to us because we were able to connect with so many people and everybody we met was so welcoming toward us.” Jackie T. and Mian O., 11th grade

“This photo was taken from the window of 400+ year old Himeji castle, situated within a vibrant city. The dichotomy between an ancient castle, with no residents for decades, and a city full of life, people, and modernity situated right next to it was mind-boggling. Having the opportunity to visit such a profound site and piece of history was amazing in and of itself, but even more incredible was the society's ability to take in and preserve such a monument. Our visit was an experience that can only be described as incredible.” Sohvi B., 11th grade  

Our final day in Japan was bittersweet, filled with heartfelt goodbyes and hopes to return, and we are already looking forward to students from Keimei Gakuin visiting UPrep next spring! We departed with memories that will last a lifetime. Our Global Link trip to Kobe was a journey of discovery, laughter, and friendship.

Lithuania

By Katya M., 10th grade

Throughout our 10-day journey, we visited churches, museums, palaces, and villages. We engaged in traditional cultural activities and toured historical sites and landmarks, which provided our group with a tangible connection to the country’s past. Walking through the Trakai Island Castle and the Palace of the Grand Duke of Lithuania, our group grasped the significance of past events and their impact on the development of modern Lithuania. By interacting with local residents and participating in the preparation and baking of kibinais, rye bread, and traditional paper making, we developed empathy and appreciation for their way of life. 

Through talking and bonding with our friends from Lithuania over borscht and cepelinai, we uncovered cultural nuances. We discovered that things done in Seattle are also done in Lithuania, but just a bit differently. The local customs and traditions helped us interpret complex geopolitical issues more accurately. In studying Lithuanian artist and composer Mikalojus Ciurlionis’ pieces and paintings, our group gained fundamental insights into the nation’s creativity and resilience. His art reflects Lithuania’s cultural revival and spiritual connections, through the fusion of music and visual expression.

Our visit to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius proved yet another opportunity to take in the breathtaking architecture of centuries past while also learning more about the country’s tumultuous history, particularly in the context of how it shapes their lives today. The country only gained its independence for the final time a mere 30 years ago, and it still acts as a major player in the Eastern European geopolitical landscape, particularly given tensions in the region. As such, it was truly fascinating to be in the presence of history actively being made. Some parts of the parliament building were off-limits because lawmakers and politicians were making important decisions at that exact moment! On the other hand, wandering through Vilnius’ old town felt as though you were transported back hundreds of years, as the city has lost none of its original grandeur.

We also connected with local youth leaders to better understand how Lithuania inspires its younger generation to be upstanding citizens who work to make the world a better place. It was eye-opening to get to meet with local officials. They informed us on how to accurately engage in politics and stay informed.

We closed out our final evening in Prienai with festivities and a big feast, with heartfelt moments aplenty. Saying goodbye was difficult for everyone, but such difficulty only serves as a testament to how much we all loved and felt hugely impacted by the people and our time in Lithuania.

Botswana

By Elli A., Reagan D., Ari F., Wynne J., Kayla M.-P., Kyan R., Sonia S., 12^th grade; Galia H., 11^th grade; Ilwad M. and Sophie W., 10th grade

Edited by Ari F.

Marimba! Only two members of our group—Ari and Kyan—had ever played marimba before and they retained very little of their skills. During our time in Botswana, we spent a quality two hours with the MaraPula (MaP) Marimba Band, listening, learning, and performing marimba together.

Right after we arrived, the band performed a highly energetic musical masterpiece. None of the players stared at their keys for more than a second. They were constantly dancing, juggling their mallets, giving cries of encouragement and joy, and they jumped around the room when they weren’t playing. Even with UPrep’s recent revitalization of its Marimba intensive class, none of us had ever seen such energy and, quite frankly, musicians that showed as much visual enjoyment of playing their music.

Then it was time for us to start learning. The marimba teacher, who’s also an esteemed jazz musician, assigned us different specific instruments to play on. The teacher then individually taught each of us our parts for the first section of what he deemed to be a relatively simple “EDM mashup song.” Alas, we never learned traditional marimba music, but at least we played on traditional instruments. All of us learned our respective parts very quickly in proportion to your average marimba beginner, (according to our teacher!), and we began to practice the first section together. At first, it was difficult to collaborate and get in tempo with each other, but we got the hang of it pretty fast and started producing decent music together.

The bridge and second section proved more difficult and took all of us a significantly longer time to learn, but we eventually memorized our parts and began playing the whole thing together. For the first few run-throughs, each of us were rarely looking up. Eventually, a few of the MaP students joined in and started joyfully yelling at each other, and we felt ourselves starting to loosen up. Our rigid postures turned more fluid, and we started joining in with the yelling and dancing around a bit. Surprisingly, after making this change, we started to enjoy our playing more and many of us found it easier to remember our notes, perhaps because we were more engaged with the traditional energetic style of playing. We went through a few final playthroughs, which we recorded to better remember our joyous memory. Then, the two hours were up, and we said goodbye to marimba playing … or so we thought.

Two weeks after arriving back, our rowdy band met in the jazz room at UPrep, picked up some mallets, and attempted to remember our parts. On our last day of practice, we started giving yells of encouragement to each other. We were able to pull ourselves together enough to perform on Music Day and we hope that we showed how we learned something from Botswana.

Ultimately, this experience taught us to live in the present moment, no matter where you are in the world or if you’re trying something new. Our group adapted our individualized mindset to one of energetic collaboration, which is necessary to achieve the common goal of learning a new skill. This allowed us to grow much closer together—which is what the world needs right now as it searches for the best way to promote the common good. 

READ HOW UPREP COMMUNITY MEMBERS LEAD A LIFE OF LEARNING.