Perpich Students Travel to Spain for Spring Break 2025

April 3, 2025

As Perpich Arts High School began spring break, nine Perpich students and one instructor headed for an educational trip to Spain. The students and Sarah York, Spanish Instructor, spent a couple of days exploring Madrid, and then students went to live with local host families in the suburb of Rivas-Vaciamadrid for the rest of the week. They were immersed in the Spanish language while sharing experiences with Spanish teenagers at school, home, and in the community. The group gathered at the end of the week to experience art museums, local food, and a flamenco show, a style of Spanish music played especially on the guitar and accompanied by singing and dancing.

Perpich Arts High School students and their instructor pose in Plaza Mayor in Madrid during their spring break trip.

Ajay Nicholas (Visual Arts 2026) was really thankful to have the opportunity to visit Spain. “Apart from eating fantastic food in Madrid and seeing breathtaking architecture in Toledo, I really enjoyed spending time with my host family,” said Ajay. “They welcomed me into their lives with such love and admiration that I found it difficult to say goodbye.”

Aliya Rensch (Literary Arts 2025) enjoyed the whole experience. “It was really valuable to me to experience Spain from another point of view than just tourism,” said Aliya. “I had a lot of fun with my host family because they were really nice!! They didn’t make me feel excluded and we did our best to communicate. I tried foods I wouldn’t normally (I can be kind of picky) and that was very good for growth. Overall it was just a fun experience that also helped me grow and learn as a person.”

Sarah York has taken Perpich students on travel experiences for the past few years. “This trip fulfilled our goal of an authentic, non-tourist experience of Spain, where the kids really got to use the language, and really got to expand their perspectives of how people live,” said Sarah. “They were blown away by the care, patience, and acceptance that they received from their Spanish host families. And Perpich students continue to impress me with their persistence, flexibility, and open-mindedness while travelling.”

The travel abroad was organized through Language & Friendship whose mission is to serve language teachers and their students, while promoting global citizenship through quality educational programs, including short-term travels, language-immersion family stays, and hosting opportunities. The trip was open to Perpich students with a minimum of two years of Spanish language experience, who are in good academic standing, and are able to abide by codes of respect and safety.