Amazing.That is the best word to describe FWCD sophomore James Hanson’s ’28 trips over the summer, traveling to Nepal and Peru with the Shoulder-to-Shoulder program.
“It’s hard to say which trip was my favorite as each of the trips were different in their own way,” Hanson said. “Nepal was great since I learned so much. It was a service trip, and it taught me ethical leadership through the service and by being surrounded by other leaders,” Hanson said.
The main objective of the Shoulder-to-Shoulder program is to teach students ethical leadership.
“Fort Worth Country Day became involved in Shoulder-to-Shoulder several years ago when Stephen Blan was the director of the Center for International Studies, and we’ve been partners with them for a number of years,” Chelsey Beninate, director of the Center for International Studies, said.
Shoulder-to-Shoulder has many programs. Students can travel to places in North America such as Dartmouth in New Hampshire, Key Largo, Maine, New Orleans, and Puerto Rico. In Central America, students can travel to Costa Rica and Panama; in South America, Peru; and in the eastern hemisphere, Kenya and Nepal.
https://shouldertoshoulder.com/programs/
Students have until May 1st to join a program, but once the program is full, no one else can join.
“The programs are really wonderful experiences where students are able to participate in ethical leadership and also have a chance to do service while on a trip. It offers an opportunity for students to go outside of Fort Worth to see all of the offerings that are in the world and then also bring some back to FWCD,” Beninate said.
“I thought Nepal’s mountains were beautiful, and the culture was very interesting as I visited a Buddhist Monastery and visited Hindu Stupas in Kathmandu. I enjoyed being with everyone since the people were very hospitable,” Hanson said.
Hanson traveled to Peru with his family and his friend, Drew Dieth ’28.
“I learned about Peru’s culture and their different climates,” Hanson said. “Peru is very religious, and I saw lots of parades about their culture. It was really cool to see Machu Picchu in person as it is one of the seven wonders of the world.”
Over all of Hanson’s travels over the summer, it’s safe to say that Hanson has learned some valuable lessons such as: experiencing new cultures, learning leadership skills, and overall eye-opening experiences.
