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Vermont Academy Students Travel to Tanzania
Five Vermont Academy students went on an incredible spring break trip to Tanzania, led by VA science teacher Christine Armiger and Gogi Abroad founder Liz Jackson. Christine’s son, and future Wildcat, Elliot Carr, also joined. Sydney Shaw ’25, Elena Hernandez-Merkle ’26, Cody Marconi-Quinones ’24, Case Seigel ’25, and Lola Rothschild ’25, began their journey in the Maasai community of Longido where VA alumnus, Leyeyo Kipamba ’16 was born. Honoring Leyeyo’s passing in 2022, the tripgoers paid respects to his gravesite and met his family and friends, who were incredibly welcoming, sharing their culture, food, and songs, making the students feel at home.
They spent three days volunteering at Meloc Academy in Longido where they played soccer and painted murals on the walls of their new school kitchen that was constructed with the support of funds from this trip. Thanks to VA’s Director of IT Jeff Gaudet, several laptop computers were donated to the school. Before leaving Longido, VA, and Meloc Academy students expressed mutual gratitude in a beautiful ceremony during which each class shared a song, poem, or dance and many, many tearful hugs. "My trip to Tanzania not only opened my world view but also taught me about the positive impacts strangers can have on your life experiences," shared Sydney.
From there, the group embarked on a safari into the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area where they encountered an incredible diversity of wildlife, including zebras, elephants, lions, rhinos, wildebeest, water buffalo, baboons, hyenas, flamingos, and more. VA media arts faculty member Peter Barreras generously lent the students a camera with an excellent zoom lens for the safari. After camping out in the crater, the students headed on to Zanzibar where they explored the coral reef ecosystem at Chumbe Island Coral Park. The island is a biodiversity hotspot and a privately owned marine protected area where travelers can stay in eco-bungalows, eat traditional Zanzibar cuisine, and learn about the marine species that thrive in the coral reef ecosystem through guided snorkel and dive trips.
Special thanks go to the welcoming community the tripgoers met in Tanzania, Elizabeth Jackson of Gogi Abroad, Jeff Gaudet, and Peter Barreras.
Vermont Academy is a coed college preparatory boarding and day school in southern Vermont, serving grades 9-12 plus a postgraduate year.
