“This is easily one of the greatest adventures I’ve ever embarked on,” Hillman High School student Hunter Linseman said about his recent trip to Italy. “It was an extraordinary trip.”

Recently, 10 students from Hillman High School went on the trip of a lifetime, visiting Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri in Italy, and Vatican City with the guidance of teachers Erin and Josh Brege, through fundraising and grants. The group, Hillman International Program, traveled with Education First Educational Tours, which gave students a chance to experience a different culture, language, and to learn through presentations about the tour and present what they learned while in Italy through WeShare.

Each student chose a question to research while on their trip, ranging from the present-day purpose of the ancient roads around Italy to the use and different structures of arches throughout the country.

“Going to Italy has been a truly life-changing experience, one I won’t soon forget,” student Seth Knaggs said. “The trip as a whole couldn’t have gone better. It allowed me to come out of my comfort zone and explore new things. This whole journey has been a blessing and was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I could not have passed up.”

The students spent eight days traveling throughout the country, visiting the Sistine Chapel, the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Roman catacombs, Roman ruins, Roman Forum and the Colosseum, along with many other well-known sites throughout Italy.

Besides historical sites, students also learned about modern-day Italy, traveling through the cities and seeing the architecture of different homes and buildings, as well as the layout of cities and roads in the country. They conversed with locals, learning first-hand about the culture, and were able to have authentic Italian pizza while in Italy.

Students witnessed how people travel within the cities of Europe, and experienced views of the city, country and seaside as part of their trip. From the picturesque views offered by Sorrento of the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy to the bustling streets of Vatican City, each student was immersed in Italian culture.

“This trip has opened my eyes to what Rome and other parts of Italy look like today,” Linseman said. “It’s shown me that Rome has much more in common with the (United States) than I had previously thought.”

To reach many of the ruins around Rome, the group had to travel to the heart of the city. The Roman Forum is located in the center of Rome, and features the ruins of several ancient government buildings. The students were able to walk around the ruins with the tour, and learned the purpose of the different buildings.

While in Vatican City, the group witnessed first-hand the art in the Sistine Chapel and the many different paintings and sculptures throughout the Vatican by famous artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli and Raphael.

All of the students completed an online course, Global Studies, through the WeShare Program for their experiential learning, and received high school credit for their work. Upon their return, students began working on their presentations for WeShare through Education First to share their experience and what they learned on their trip through Italy.

Nicole Grulke can be reached via email at ngrulke@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687. Follow Nicole on Twitter @ng_alpenanews.