It started with a conversation at Career Day. When Lauralton Hall alumna Kate Curran returned to her alma mater to talk about founding School the World, she asked if the school might be interested in joining her mission. Spanish teacher Patricia Doerr said “yes” — and that one yes led to a journey that changed lives on both sides of the world.
Pat and her students became the very first high school group to travel with School the World — helping to build a school in rural Guatemala and setting the stage for what would become our Student Service Learning Program, now reaching hundreds of young people across the U.S. and Central America each year.
In February 2013, I had the privilege of leading the first-ever student service trip to Guatemala with School the World. I was a Spanish teacher at Lauralton Hall in Milford, Connecticut — and when our alumna, Kate Curran, returned to speak at Career Day, she asked if Lauralton would be interested in being her first school partner. Kate had already led groups of college students and adult volunteers, but never a high school group. When my administrators asked if I would be interested in working with her to organize the trip, I immediately said “yes.”
Before the trip, our Lauralton students raised the funds themselves — holding bake sales, car washes, working part-time jobs, and asking friends and family to sponsor them. We held several meetings to prepare, but nothing could have fully captured what awaited us.
We began and ended the trip in the city of Antigua, a beautiful Spanish colonial city that was once the capital of Guatemala. On our first day, we attended Mass at a small church decorated for Lent. Part of the service was in K’iche’, the Mayan language spoken in this region, and the rest in Spanish.
The next morning, we traveled about an hour and a half to the village of Cacabal II, near Santa Cruz del Quiché — the site of the school we would help build. Our first day in the village was spent getting to know the community. At first, the children seemed shy and serious, but after a few icebreakers, everyone was smiling. We played games, shared ice cream, and broke open piñatas. The girls had brought bubbles, jump ropes, and balloons, which quickly filled the air — and hearts — with laughter.
Each day we returned to Cacabal II to work alongside families and community members. We painted the school, helped with electrical work, taught English, planted a vegetable and fruit garden, and sanded and painted desks.
One morning, we shadowed Guatemalan women to better understand their daily lives — milking cows, making tortillas, washing clothing on stone, feeding livestock, and even making adobe bricks. It was an unforgettable exchange of culture and connection.
As the week went on, we also created decorations to prepare the school for its upcoming dedication ceremony.
After our days of service, we immersed ourselves in learning about Guatemala’s rich history and traditions. We visited the Mayan Museum of Pop Wuj, where we witnessed a traditional ceremony and learned about Mayan beliefs. We explored the unexcavated temples and caves of Q’umarc’aaj, once a place of refuge during the Spanish conquest.
We also visited the Panajxit Textile Museum to observe Guatemala’s famous weaving traditions and took a boat ride across Lake Atitlán, surrounded by volcanoes and breathtaking scenery.
On Friday, the community gathered to celebrate the new school. We were greeted with decorations, festive music, and people dressed in traditional clothing. Several hours of dancing, singing, speeches, and sharing food followed. A plaque dedicating the school to the students of Lauralton Hall was unveiled, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially marked its opening.
That evening, we visited Casa Antigua El Chalet, a Guatemalan restaurant where we learned to prepare a traditional meal together — the perfect ending to a day of joy and gratitude.
Each night, we gathered as a group to share our “highs and lows” of the day. There were almost always more highs than lows, and most nights, someone was moved to tears. The experiences had a profound impact on every student and chaperone — and the connections we built have lasted far beyond that week.
Our students met a girl named Sandra from the village who was turning 15 but wasn’t having a celebration because her family couldn’t afford it. Together, the girls and one of our drivers bought her a sterling silver necklace and earrings and a cake. We all walked to her home to surprise her. Sandra and her parents were overcome with emotion.
We also met two young women, Magdalena and Celia, who were told by their parents they could only study through grade six before helping with farm work and marrying. Magdalena decided that women should be equal to men and insisted on continuing her education, even though it caused deep family conflict. She cried as she told her story — but her conviction was powerful.
Years later, both Magdalena and Celia are university students working for School the World in Guatemala. Their perseverance and partnership continue to inspire every group that visits.
What began as an idea between two Lauralton Hall alumnae became the foundation of School the World’s student service learning program — one that now brings hundreds of students to Central America each year to serve, learn, and grow.
And just as it did for Pat and her students, the experience continues to remind us that education transforms not only the communities we serve, but the hearts of those who serve them. To read more about Pat’s life of service, please read this post.