An Experience I will Never Forget by Julia Hack

    On our fourth day of the trip, we are having a blast!  We have had so many amazing experiences.  On the first day, we had a "marathon day."  We got off the plane Wednesday morning, and headed to the hotel, and then right to sight seeing!  We went to Camp Nou, the stadium where the Barcelona professional soccor team plays.  We got to check out the huge statium, which holds 99,000 people, and go on the field.  We then took the metro to the Picasso museum, and had a great time there.

    On the second day, we had another full day of sightseeing.  We went to the Sagrada Familia, a beautiful Church.  The windows of the Church were all different colors, it was gorgeous!  We then got ready for our first conference day. 

   The third day was our first full day of the conference. We listened to several inspirational speakers, including FW de Clerk and Betty Williams.  Each student then got to pick a workshop to attend.  We then spent the evening in Las Ramblas, eating and shopping.

    Today, our fourth day, was equally as fun.  We had panels to listen to in the morning, and more workshops in the afternoon.  I had the incredible experience to be able to attend the United Nations workshop, which was the one I was most excited about seeing!  

    Just in these few days, we have accomplished so much!  Our group has seen almost all of the famous sites in Barcelona, and we have had the opportunity to meet with several laureates.  Many students have had one on one conversations with many laureates! The trip is going amazingly! 

Barcelona Bound By Layla Hindiyeh

In just a few short hours we're going to be on a plane to Barcelona! Crazy to think that just a few short months ago this trip was a dream and it's now a reality. I couldn't be more excited to spend the next week with my peers, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

The Day is Here! By Julia Hack

    Today is the day!  Bags are checked, passports in hand, we are ready to go to Barcelona!  This journey bagan in the end of the last school year, when we applied to go on a triip to Atlanta, Georgia to go to the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates.  We went through a difficult application process, involving two essays, teacher and community recommendations, and transcripts.  After applying, we found out the Summit had been moved to Barcelona, Spain.  The list of participants was released a few months later, and we have been working hard on making the trip happen since then.   In those few short months, we have worked hard on getting all of the documents we need to travel. Many of us are first time international travelers, and needed to get our passports.  As a group, we have also been working on fundraising and commities were formed to help plan different aspects of the trip.  We have been counting down to this day for months!  We are very excited to go to Barcelona!  Thank you to everyone who helped this trip happen.  I can't believe the day has finally arrived!

Learning About the Summit and Trip of a Lifetime

    Towards the end of my sophomore year at Kingston High School, Mrs. Bryant and Mr. Sullivan called a meeting regarding the World Summit of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Atlanta, Georgia which 24 students and four chaperones were invited to (we did not know who was accepted at the point). The trip advisors had made plans for our transportation and lodging to Atlanta and we were all exhilarated at the prospect of going to this Summit. Apparently there was a change in venue and the conference was to be held in Barcelona, Spain.  
    Upon hearing this news, I was both elated and worried. Having the opportunity to go to Spain to attend this prestigious Summit was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Then again, there was no way my mom was going to let me go to Spain with a bunch of people she’s never met. Then Mr. Sullivan and Mrs. Bryant proceeded to tell us that there was only a 15% chance that this trip will actually happen. Therefore, any faith I had in going to this conference was pretty much destroyed.  
    How was this district supposed to get 28 people to Spain for a week in only four months? I did not even know if I had gotten accepted to go to Atlanta, let alone Spain! In fact, I completely forgot all about this whole conference until about mid-July when my friend texted me at about 10:00 pm. She asked if I wanted to room with her. 
    “What on earth are you talking about?” I responded, “Room with you for what?” Having faint memory of the meeting regarding Spain, I checked the “Barcelona Bound” website. There lied my name on the list of accepted participants.  
When I told my parents, they were actually thrilled that I was accepted and that I had earned a spot on such an amazing experience. They told me that when they were younger, they never had opportunities to go abroad and they wanted me to do the things they never had the chance to do. (Of course, I used that time to tell them that I needed $500 to cover the first deposit.) 
    I am extremely excited for this trip and I cannot wait until I land in Barcelona!
-Jada Ohene-Agyei

Radio Interview

This morning, Hunter Reinhardt, Layla Hindiyeh, Grace Regan, Isabelle Simek, Mrs Bryant, and I went on the radio with WKNY to discuss our upcoming trip to Barcelona to attend the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates.  We were interviewed by Scott Harrington about different aspects of the trip.  We first introduced ourselves, and discussed our travel plans.  Isabelle explained the conference and why it is so important to us.  Each student explained which laureates they are most excited about seeing at the conference, including Malala Yousafzai, Betty Williams, and FW de Klerk.  Mr Harrington asked each student about how we got involved in going to the conference.  We explained the application process, and how we were encouraged to apply by our teachers.  During the interview, there were two callers, who each supported the trip and said great things about it.  They each said kind things about the experience we are going to have, and how amazing our advisors are.  We also discussed what other clubs and activities we are involved in at school.  Our answers ranged from sports, to art, to student government.  The interview went very well, and we all had a great time doing it.  Mr Harrington was a great interviewer, and is very supportive of our trip.  We are so grateful to have the opportunity to share our excitement about attending the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates with our community. 
-Julia Hack

Betty Williams

Meeting the incredible Betty Williams is just a few days away. Incredible!
-Layla Hindiyeh

A First Time International Traveler

     This trip to Barcelona, Spain will be full of firsts for me.  I have never travelled abroad before and also have never been on a plane for more than a few hours.  I have flown back and forth from Chicago a few times, which is a very short and easy flight. Flying over the ocean for almost eight hours will be an entirely new experience for me. 
     This being said I have never been to Spain before.  I am excited to go to see all of the beautiful sites, visit the most famous places, and eat the best foods.  We have been researching all of these things for months, and I am excited to experience these things in person.  I am especially interested in walking through the streets of Barcelona, and eating all of their delicious foods.
     I am most excited to attend the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates.  This conference will allow me to hear, and possibly meet inspirational people from all over the world speak about life-changing topics. Hearing these people speak will be inspirational to me as I explore possible career options in the future.  Experiencing these things with my friends will make the trip even better.
     I have been counting down the days for this trip for months, and can`t believe it is just one short  week away.  As I am making last minute preparations and brushing up on my Spanish, I am finally realizing how great of an experience this trip will be.