Oh The Places You Will Go

Etai Barash ‘18
    Golda Och Academy gives students the ability to explore multiple countries and states, something not many high schools can boast. However, every student’s journey is unique.
    Most GOA students enjoy travelling, especially to other countries. From Mexico to Canada to Poland, these countries give GOA students new opportunities to learn and grow.

    Of GOA students polled, 75 percent claimed to be excited about trips to Mexico, Canada and Poland.
    Junior Lizzie Irwin said she really enjoyed her trip to Mexico because it gave her the opportunity to learn about a “culture that seems very different from ours but turns out to have many similarities.”
     Without this trip, Irwin said she never would have had had the opportunity to learn about a culture which she has learned to love.
    It is not specific trips that make students interested, however. Rather, it is the idea of travelling somewhere with classmates that attracts many students to new clubs. Activities like Model United Nations, Choir, Model Congress and Robotics are some of the most popular extracurriculars at GOA because of the trips that come with them.
    When the school’s mission of Tikkun Olam – fixing the world – is involved in a GOA trip, students’ interest level only increases. GOA’s annual Community Service Day is one of the highlights of the year, according to junior Rebecca Landau.
    “It really gives me a sense of fulfillment.”
    Additionally, the annual New Orleans Service Mission gives students a tremendous hands-on experience to help those who are in need on the Gulf Coast as a result of Hurricane Katrina. 70 percent of GOA students polled said they would enjoy the opportunity to go on the New Orleans Service Mission with their classmates.
    Although many students have shown support for all kinds of trips, the adventure GOA students look forward to the most is Neshama. An overwhelming 94 percent of students polled chose Neshama as a trip they eagerly anticipate.
    “I really love trips that strengthen our relationship with Israel, our Jewish community and our Jewish history,” junior Alex Beigelman said.
    GOA students have a profound connection with Israel, which is shown in their love for visiting the country. The ability to visit the Jewish homeland with a large majority of one’s closest friends is an experience few can share.
    Regardless of the exact trips a student goes on, each individual is creating their own journey. GOA students are given the chance to flourish while on their journeys, which is what makes the opportunities provided by Golda Och Academy so special.