Texas Valentines Take Flight
Valentine Travel Class Plan 2014 Trip to
ITALY
by Carolyn Miller
and Sara Ranzau
W
e have all helped kids in our
communities with fundrais-
ers at one time or another,
but living in Valentine, Texas makes it
even tougher. The six junior and sen-
ior students who make up the
Valentine Travel Class are working
toward the trip of a lifetime – going to
Italy in the summer of 2014! As mem-
bers of one of the smallest school dis-
tricts in Texas, with a total enrollment
of 32, these students have learned to
value one another as well as their com-
munity.
The
Valentine
Travel Class is leg-
endary in this part of
Texas. Since the
1960s, almost every
student who has
graduated
from
Valentine
High
School participated
in the “trip of a life-
time.” Many current
Valentine teachers
participated in the
trip when they were
students. Current
teacher and coach
Bianca Porras says,
“My class went to
Aruba in 1998. So
many life lessons came out of this
unique experience. After two years of
hard work, the trip of our dreams was
the sweetest reward. Memories that
last a lifetime are made and for some it
18
Cenizo
is the ultimate
goodbye
to
Valentine
High School.”
Many alum-
ni of Valentine
Demetrio Navarrete, Kyle Kerley, Lorraine Rojas with Maralea and Albert Miller and Maria Elena Carrasco in New
Zealand 2010
have returned
to sponsor trips
to go (Costa Rica). It's not like you get
dry desert land of West Texas. Current
as well. Retired teacher Viola
to go out of the country a lot and for
member and senior Daniel Koch is
Calderon, who went to Washington,
some, this will be the only time,” last
looking forward to the trip to Italy. “I
D.C. as a junior, recalls her time as a
year's valedictorian Daniel Garnsey
am ready to see how things are done
sponsor: “The last trip Chuy and I
says of his trip in the summer of 2012.
over there, and I'm ready to try a new
sponsored was to Hawaii. We went to
In 2010, one of the smallest groups,
cuisine.”
all the islands on a
only three students, raised money to
This trip can truly change lives
cruise ship. The kids
visit the other side of the world: New
because the students learn to reach
got to go to Pearl
Zealand. Lorraine Rojas, the only girl
beyond their comfort zones and set
Harbor.” She and
on the trip, still dreams of her time in
loftier goals. “The experience that
her husband, alum-
the land of the kiwi: “We chose New
these kids have had is beyond anything
nus, teacher, and
Zealand as our junior/senior trip. We
some of them will ever have again,”
Mayor of Valentine
were there for two amazing weeks! We
former sponsor Maralea Miller said of
Chuy Calderon also
had a blast. I'm still on cloud nine
trips she and her husband Albert spon-
took several groups
from that trip. Amazing.” Their expe-
sored. “I am so proud to have been a
to
Washington,
riences have helped to shape the peo-
sponsor and so proud when the kids
D.C.
ple they are becoming as they go
come back with memories and tell me
Originally, trips
through college and begin to face life
the things I taught them that they use
were to the Texas
head on.
now.” The trip is not just a way for stu-
coast, Mexico, and
They have traveled to destinations
dents to have an amazing vacation, it
American
land-
such as Jamaica, St. Kitts, Hawaii,
truly is a way for students to learn life-
marks. Through the
Cozumel, Cancun, Costa Rica,
long skills.
years, students and
Washington D.C., Australia, Mexico
The path to such a unique experi-
sponsors
have
City, and New Zealand. Many of
ence is neither a short nor an easy one.
expanded
travel
these students had never traveled out-
There is a strict “no pass, no travel”
plans to countries all
side of West Texas, much less out of
rule in effect for all of the members.
over the globe, a world away from
North America. These trips provide
Students who fail two grading periods
their small ranching community. “I
experiences they have only read about.
are removed from the trip roster and
valued every moment because it was
They allow the students to participate
not allowed to rejoin. The policy is not
an opportunity of a lifetime, and I'm
in activities completely foreign to the
only a way to keep students on top of
very happy with the place we decided
First Quarter 2014