From Thailand to Costa Rica to right here in the Sierras of the United States, our students are national and international travelers! All because Cristo Rey St. Martin is fortunate to partner with several organizations that allow our students to travel abroad to a country or US state of their choice, complete service work, and immerse themselves in a new culture. Two of those programs are The Ellie Burns Foundation and Road Less Traveled. For these excursions, our students apply to receive scholarships to pay for their expenses through either the programs themselves or an outside organization such as the Crystal Fund or Farther Foundation. During their time away, students don’t have access to their cell phones, except to call their families on occasion. This is in hopes they fully immerse themselves in their new surroundings without everyday distractions.
The Ellie Burns Foundation was started by Sally and Michael Burns in honor of their daughter, Ellie, who tragically passed away. Ellie loved traveling and being in nature, so to honor her memory, Michael and Sally created a foundation that allows high school students to experience being out in the world. It’s through the goodwill of Sally and Michael and their foundation that our students are able to partake in these new experiences and expand their horizons. Monserrat L., junior at CRSM, explains how her experience traveling to the Sierras of California was an awakening for her that solidified her love of nature and sent her on a journey of self-discovery. “This journey was not just about conquering mountains, but about conquering myself. The challenges I faced were not only physical but also internal, pushing me to confront fears and uncertainties… The pristine landscapes [of the Sierras] became my sanctuary, a place where I could disconnect from the chaos of daily life and reconnect with my inner self.”
During this trip, and others through the Ellie Burns Foundation, students were tasked with something seemingly impossible, but something that would really leave a strong impact on their sense of self. Students were “given the ambitious goal of… [summiting] a 14,180-foot volcano mountain, aka Mount Shasta”. This is something that pushed the students both physically and mentally, but in the end, students like Monserrat felt as though they could overcome anything. Valuable lessons can be gleaned from experiencing something challenging like legitimately ascending a mountain, but overall they shape us into resilient individuals. CRSM is extremely grateful to The Ellie Burns Foundation for providing our students with these transformative experiences. We look forward to many more opportunities to partner with them!
The other travel opportunity that our students often engage in is provided through the Road Less Traveled where our students have had the opportunity to go to places like Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Thailand. Yeili and Yinnel O., went to Thailand last summer. On their trip, the students taught English to kids, spoke with Monks, and volunteered at an Elephant Sanctuary. Yeili and Yinnel explained that the “main mission of the trip was to teach English to the kids,” but in the end, they enjoyed so much more than that! The group first visited Bangkok, where they engaged with the local children in their schools. Yeili says that she now has a new appreciation for how hard her teachers work after teaching the local kids. “We spent hours lesson planning, woke up early, taught all day, and then lesson planned some more!” The group then went to Shanghai, where they interacted with Buddhist Monks, and were able to “learn lessons from monks about their religion, and… [in turn would then] teach them about [their religions].” Yinnel and Yeili reflect on the surrealness of their experiences, as traveling to Thailand was not something that they ever thought they’d be able to do, but with the help of the Farther Foundation scholarship and the Road Less Traveled program, the students feel like they are able to accomplish anything now!