Travelling to Mexico for spring break isn’t anything new for many partying college students in the United States. But a group of students and faculty from West Kentucky Community & Technical College recently found out that traveling to Mexico could be an experience invaluable to their education.

Students from Bowling Green, Maysville, and West Kentucky community & technical colleges were among 11 members of the March 7-14 trip, coordinated by WKCTC Spanish teacher Carolyn Perry and English teacher Pat Blaine. The course, titled “Culture of Mexico for Non-Spanish Speakers,” met the associate in arts and associate in science cultural diversity graduation requirement in social interaction.

Marissa Estes, 21, a part-time student at Maysville Community College has actively studied Spanish for about five years and is conversationally fluent. She had never been to Mexico before and knew if she missed this trip she would regret it. “I don’t know what I hoped but it definitely re-ignited my desire for the language,” she said. “It was an amazing experience. I think I could live there … it made me realize how much I missed speaking Spanish.”

The trip focused on the culture and history of Mexico and included visits to the Museum of Anthropology, pyramids, and the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Students also stayed a short time with Mexican families.

“The whole focus of the course was to immerse the students in the culture of Mexico,” Perry said. “We toured four total archaeological sites, the pyramids and the art collection at the National Palace in Mexico City.”

Students were required to keep a journal of their experiences. The course also requires them to write a reflective piece on the trip for Blaine and complete two projects for Perry, before completing a Power Point presentation.

For Rory Flynn of Mayfield, the trip was an opportunity to spend some quality time with his wife, Maria, Dean of the Division of Transition Education at West Kentucky Community and Technical College. The Flynns have several Mexican friends and enjoy collecting modern fine art from Mata Ortiz, Casas Grande, and southwest U.S. “We wanted to see a different area of Mexico during another season of the year, and enjoy learning about the old cultures,” Rory Flynn said. “We did that and more.”

Flynn attributed the success of the trip to WKCTC faculty Carolyn Perry and Pat Blaine as well as Charles Goff, director of the Cemanahuac School in Cuernavaca. Goff is a 35 year resident of Mexico who has dual citizenship as a Columbian-born child of American missionaries and who has applied for Mexican citizenship as well. He has studied the ancient Mayan, Aztec, and indigenous people of Mexico throughout his lifetime.

“The best part of the trip was the excellent guided tours and explanations by Charlie,” Flynn said. “He is an anthropologist by training. He gave us detailed information on every thing and place and many people of Mexico past and present.”

Maria Flynn has never taken a Spanish course before but had picked up a few Spanish words over the years. “Mexico is a country with a very rich heritage which we knew little about until now. We enjoyed especially the visits to archeological sites, museums, and historic buildings. We learned about the origins of the pottery we value so much and have a much deeper understanding of a culture we respect.”

English Professor Pat Blaine had always hoped to be able to travel with students to a foreign country. She had vacationed one time in Cancun, Mexico, but said she really knew nothing about the culture or the country of Mexico.

Blaine, a Ballard County resident, is taking an introductory Spanish course this semester, because she believes it is important that individuals have a general ability to converse with the increasing number of U.S. residents who are Hispanic. “This trip gave me a much better understanding of the culture, history, and politics in Mexico and the issues which effect the United States and its relationship with Mexico.”

There were some concerns as the group was preparing to leave Mexico about the volatile situation in the country. Rory Flynn said traveling to Mexico was no different than traveling to any other country and he encouraged travelers to “Always take the advice of the U.S. authorities concerning dangerous situations in another country, be careful to avoid obvious areas of danger, and be aware of your surroundings at all times.”

Some fellow colleagues advised the organizers against going on this trip when the news hit the airwaves in regard to Spring Break and the ongoing violence in Mexico.

“We had no doubts whatsoever in proceeding on the trip and being responsible for nine students,” Blaine said. “Never were we in any more danger than we would have been here in the United States.

“As Americans, we were always noticeable, but people treated us kindly and assisted us when we needed directions or clarifications. A trip to Mexico does make an American appreciate many of the benefits that we take for granted.”

Though a country rich in history and culture, Mexico has a high poverty rate. Minimum wage in most of Mexico is 50 pesos a day (15 pesos equals a dollar in U.S. currency. “Can you and your family live on $3.00 a day? 60% of Mexicans do, and of those, 40% live on less than $1.00 a day. It is a saddening experience to see that quality of life,” Blaine said.

Faculty members Blaine and Perry shared their experience during a special presentation in the Matheson Library in April.