Work Travelers: Two Mission High School students earn the trip of a lifetime

ST. IGNATIUS — Most high school students will spend their 2012 summer break playing video games, hanging out with friends or taking a vacation with family. However they end up spending that break, it will be tough to match the experience that two Mission High School students are months away from enjoying.

From June 18-July 6, sophomore Patrick Eichert and freshman Courtney Heath will take the trip of a lifetime when they spend two and a half weeks in Italy, Sicily and Greece as part of the People to People Student Ambassador Program. The two 4.0 students will head over to experience and learn about the people and culture of those countries, an experience very few students their age earn.

And earn it they have, in a variety of fashions. Students are nominated by teachers to become accepted into the program based on several factors including grades and a desire to learn.

While travelling overseas is a first for both Heath and Eichert, Heath has been involved with the program since sixth grade.

The trip to Europe will be her third with People to People, as she has already been to Washington D.C., primarily to sightsee and then to Louisiana to do community service in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

While her first trip ended up being an amazing experience, it didn’t start that way for the well-travelled Heath.

“I’m pretty sure I cried on the first flight to D.C.,” Heath said. “I was in sixth grade and was terrified but everything turned out great and on my Louisiana trip, I was so excited to go because Washington was so great.”

That feeling has stayed strong with Heath, who can’t wait for her third People to People journey.

“I’m most excited about our home stays,” Heath said. “We stay with a family for a few days and you really get to live like them and gain an in-depth look into their culture.”

Eichert, meanwhile, is making his first voyage with the program, but is doing it in a big way.

“I’m excited, but also nervous,” Eichert said. “I want to see old temples and the history and culture of Greece.”

Eichert became hooked with the program after just one meeting.

“The first meeting, they told us what would happen and I thought it would be a pretty cool trip,” Eichert said.

The two will meet with the travelling delegation four times, getting to know each other, prior to departing for Europe. While both admitted it will be easier going with someone from their own school, they’re happy to meet new people that they’ll spend nearly three weeks with over the summer.

“I’ve already made a few friends from (the meetings),” Heath said.

Heath and Eichert will be busy until the trip. The pair need to raise over $7,000 apiece to cover tuition, flights and other expenses. After about four months, Eichert is about halfway there, while Heath has earned over $2,000 with the fundraising.

The two have worked together at times, separately at others to get to where they are. Between bake sales, rummage sales, babysitting and other odds and ends, the two are off to a great start, but still have a ways to go and need all the help they can get.

Heath has planned an Irish-themed dinner and silent auction, which will take place at the Polson Elks Lodge on March 17 at 4 p.m. Eichert has done raffles in addition to the bake sales and continues to plug away to reach his goal.

Once Eichert and Heath earn the money, the two Bulldogs will prepare for the time of their lives, an opportunity they’ve earned through hard work and a desire to learn more.

While their classmates will be playing The Sims and vacationing abroad vicariously, these two will be living out a fantasy trip.