Best of the Week 2022-2023: Excellence in College Prep
ST. ED'S INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMING TAKES STUDENTS ABROAD, FROM NEW ZEALAND TO GHANA, AFRICA
St. Ed's International Programming had a big week this week, sending four Edsmen (Baird Bracken '24, Thomas Lopez '24, Gavin McMillin '25, and Max Ramirez '24) to Auckland, New Zealand on Wednesday. Back in February, St. Ed's welcomed students from New Zealand to learn and engage with the St. Ed's community, and now it's our students' turn to partake in the USA-New Zealand student exchange offered to Edsmen.
"Student exchange programs are a fantastic and dynamic way to foster international relationships and to learn and live other peoples' cultures. Often the relationships that are established last for decades afterwards and very real bonds are made - and that applies to the families too, who find that their relationships with the families on the other side of the world are wonderful and positive too," says Director of International Programs Michael Perrins. "Many more Student Exchange opportunities will be opening up for Edsmen next year, including to Australia, Chile, France and South Africa!"
Additionally, a group of sophomore Edsmen will be traveling tomorrow to Ghana in West Africa. These trailblazer Edsmen are the first of many who will build this Ghana Project and forge strong links with the Brothers of Holy Cross and the schools they support in Ghana. Our Edsmen (PJ Barkley '25, George Blaskovic '25, Alex Bullard '25, Zachary Church '25, Dillon Crane '25, Bryce Cromer '25, Sergio Diaz '25, Michael Drvenkar '25, Tyler Gedeon '25, Thomas Graham '25, Noah Hash '25, Hayden Helfer '25, Karlo Hepp '25, Heri Ramadhani '25, Brendan Schlegel '25, Luke Schramko '25, Andy Scott '25, Dante Scott '25, Connor Stephens '25, and Cole Wallace '25) will first be based at the Holy Cross Province Center at Cape Coast, acclimating to the culture while visiting the Old Slave Castles at Cape Coast and Elmina and experiencing the Ghanaian Rain Forest. For the second half of the trip, students will visit two Holy Cross Schools, St. Augustine College and Saint Brother Andre High School, interacting with local students and their teachers and sharing ideas and experiences.
"This innovative project, which promises so much for the future too, will be led by faculty members Royal Eddie '13, Rick Kubrak '07, and myself and the trip will end off with a fleeting day and night visit to Central London on the way home too," says Mr. Perrins. "The interest in the 2024 Ghana Project is already starting to bubble and current freshmen are encouraged to watch the progress of this year's trailblazers accordingly and to prep for 2024 signups this August."
