This year, more than 100 high school seniors who traveled with School the World are donning caps and gowns as high school graduates in the Class of 2025. We’re proud to celebrate them—not just for graduating, but for how they chose to spend part of their high school years: stepping outside their comfort zones to learn from communities across Central America.
For many, these were their first experiences navigating another culture, engaging with peers who live very different lives, and asking deeper questions about equity, education, and opportunity. While they arrived with wide eyes and limited experience, they left with something lasting: a sense of global perspective, and the beginning of a mindset rooted in empathy, curiosity, and responsibility.
Students like Sarah and Rowan are just two of the many young people who shaped—and were shaped by—the School the World experience.
Sarah: Finding Purpose Through Connection
Sarah, a senior from Winchester, MA, heard about School the World through a neighbor. She joined her first trip to Panama as a sophomore—alongside that neighbor’s sister—and returned two more times: to Honduras, and again to Panama the following year.
“I was nervous,” Sarah said. “But once I was there, I realized how much I could learn just by listening and being present.” One of her most memorable moments came during a home visit in Honduras. “We made tortillas with the mother, who had us sit in hammocks while she fanned us with a towel. It made me realize how much care and work goes into things we don’t even think about—like food we just grab off a shelf.”
That sense of humility and awareness followed her home—and influenced her future. Sarah applied to Villanova University, drawn by its service-oriented mission, and wrote all of her college supplemental essays about her School the World experiences. “It helped me realize I want to spend my life working to improve the lives of others,” she shared.
Rowan: Building Perspective Through Experience
Rowan, from Hingham, MA, joined three School the World trips—two to Honduras and one to Guatemala. Unlike Sarah, he didn’t know anyone before he traveled. “I went completely alone,” he said. “But I came home with friends and with a whole new perspective.”
Rowan’s reflections focused less on big revelations and more on small comparisons. “Even just having hobbies is a privilege,” he said. “Some of the kids we met walk hours to get to school. Meanwhile, I live ten minutes from my high school and still complained about waking up early.”
One key moment for Rowan was recognizing how few students in rural Central America continue their education past primary school. “They want to—but they have to work, or help their families. It made me realize how important secondary education really is, and how much I took it for granted.”
He’s now headed to Northeastern University, where he’ll begin with a semester in Greece, continuing to explore the world through a new lens.
From New Perspectives to Lifelong Values
Sarah and Rowan’s stories are personal—but not uncommon. Most School the World travelers are just beginning to see beyond their own communities. They arrive curious, sometimes tentative, often naïve. What matters is not that they leave as experts—but that they leave asking better questions.
And for the students they meet in Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama—students who want nothing more than to stay in school—their presence, their effort, and their willingness to see and connect matters.
You can help ensure more young people get that chance. School the World relies on donors to support Service Learning Scholarships for U.S. students who can’t afford to participate in a School the World trip and to fun Student Scholarships for youth in Central America who risk dropping out due to financial hardship. Honor a graduate. Empower a future.
