FORDHAM PREP 2022 ANNUAL GIVING REPORT
Students spent the day with elephants while visiting Elephant Haven Thailand in 2019 .
The trip to Thailand allowed students to spend a few days in Bangkok before heading north to Chanthaburi , where they would live with their host families . After that , students stayed the night on a houseboat and spent a day in the mountains .
For Shablak , his time on the houseboat became one of his fondest memories . “ We were all in the middle of the lake on this boat , just sweating ,” he recalls . “ It was really hot , and there were mosquitoes everywhere . We were talking to this man about the environment , and the impact that humans have on it . They talked to us about the meat industry and how packaging meat and slaughterhouses contribute to pollution in the world ,” he continued .
The conversation struck a chord with Shablak and the other students on the trip , which fueled their desire to start a club focused on conservation . “ I tried to bring back the messages that we learned there ,” he said . However , most of the students he became friends with on the trip graduated from Fordham Prep shortly after . “ When the upperclassmen said they wanted to start a club , I had it in the back of my mind that I would do it .”
Shablak worked independently to start a club at Fordham Prep and also became an EcoRam supervising recycling in Moglia Commons during lunch periods to support the school ’ s
Green Initiative . He was also a Global Scholar during his time at the Prep , which allowed him to virtually connect with other students around the world .
“ My time at Fordham wouldn ’ t have been the same without Global Education ,” he noted . “ I don ’ t think my understanding of the scope of the world would have been the same without these programs .”
His advice for students who might be afraid to go on one of the Global Education program ’ s trips ? “ Just go ,” he says . “ Absolutely go . I ’ ve always wanted to be a traveler , but just never was because I have two sisters and two sets of parents , so it was not easy to coordinate traveling . My uncle has traveled everywhere , because he used to work for an airline software company and I want to follow his path . Of course I was nervous going , but now I can say that there is nothing to worry about !” he continued . “ Everyone takes care of each other . We go on these trips and everyone becomes friends , you go in as a stranger and you leave as family .” n
THE WORLD IS A BOOK AND THOSE WHO DO NOT TRAVEL READ ONLY ONE PAGE .”
— Saint Augustine
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