PORTSMOUTH — Lucy Walker said one of her favorite things about her recent trip to Guatemala wasn’t just the meaningful work in which she took part, but the connections she made with the locals there.

“One of my favorite experiences was on our first day painting at the school,” said Lucy, a seventh-grader at The Pennfield School, which sent 23 students to Guatemala over spring break in March as part of a service trip. “We had been working for two or three hours, but then the little kids at the school started involving us in their games.” 

They all went outside, played tag and hide-and-seek, and several Pennfield students gave piggyback rides to their new friends. “It was amazing to see how quickly the kids opened up to us,” she said.

Lucy was one of three students who recounted their experiences during an assembly at the school last Friday led by Peter Dorrien Traisci, an Upper School Spanish teacher who has organized several similar trips in the past.

Students began the adventure spending time in the city of Antigua, learning to make their own chocolate and climbing the 8,000-foot Pacaya Volcano. The group then traveled to the small community of San Juan La Laguna on the banks of Lake Atitlán to begin a service project which involved painting the interior of a local elementary school. 

While in the town, students spent four nights in local homes, interacting with families, speaking primarily in Spanish, and experiencing their daily life. The group ended its trip with a relaxing hotel day spent at the pool and an intense zip-lining experience high above the forest floor. Students were led by three faculty chaperones and a full-time group leader from Walking Tree Travel. 

The meaningful exchange of language and culture during these homestays form the core of Pennfield’s international experiences, administrators said. Pennfield places great emphasis on global citizenship, and families value such opportunities to expose their children to different cultures and people, they added.

“It was important that the students understood that we were not traveling to another country to save the people there,” Traisci said at the assembly. “The residents of San Juan La Laguna, which is the town where we completed our homestay portion of the trip, lead humble but very content lives. They don’t need us to save them; they just need a bit of support, and I am so grateful we were able to offer that support in a way that was meaningful and respectful.”

Speaking Spanish, meeting people of a different culture and engaging in a service project pushed students outside of their comfort zone — but that was the point, he said. “It was so fulfilling to see us all a little bit uncomfortable and work through it.”

Traisci said he is proud to work with young people who are eager to experience cultures that are different from their own. 

“The students’ energy, incredible work ethic and positive spirit in the face of challenges were truly inspiring,” he said. “This was not just any tourist trip but rather a meaningful exchange of language, culture, and common humanity. I am so grateful to The Pennfield School, Walking Tree Travel and the many families that supported this international adventure. The students and group leaders will forever be changed by the kindness we experienced throughout our journey.”