Special to the American
Sydney Van Hook dined on croissants, checked out the view from Paris’ tallest building and she spent the night in an English castle.
Van Hook, who will begin seventh grade at Hazelwood North Middle School next month, spent a week in both France and England as part of the People to People student ambassadors program.
Started by former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, People to People Ambassador Programs offer international travel opportunities for students from elementary through high school levels. They journey in groups of 30 to 40 people, led by well-versed local educators. The students participate in hands-on activities every day of the trip.
Exploring Château du Versailles, Louis XIV’s palace, marked their first stop in France. Next, Van Hook and her group visited Disneyland Paris, which, even though it was based on Hollywood nostalgia, carries a distinctly European flavor.
“Disneyland there focuses on France instead of Disney,” Van Hook said. “I rode my first upside-down roller coaster there, too.” She said her group also met characters from the Chronicles of Narnia films, including Prince Caspian.
“France was much the same as here except the weather was cooler over there, like temperatures in the mid-60s or mid-70s,” Van Hook said.
She displayed a drawing that she made of a woman she saw in a painting of the French Revolution. “We took an art class while we were there and we drew and sketched things we saw.”
Other points of interest in France that Van Hook and her group visited include the Musée du Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the artists’ quarter of Montmartre.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for her,” said her mother, Elatris Van Hook. “I was very nervous about letting her go at first but now that the trip is over, I would let her go again. They dotted all the I’s and crossed all the T’s.”
Sydney’s father, Fred Van Hook, voiced a similar reaction to his wife’s.
“I didn’t know what to expect but I was more relaxed after the itinerary came out and I saw they had activities to do every day,” he said.
Before departing for England, Sydney visited what became her favorite stop of the trip – ascending the Eiffel Tower, all 899 feet of it.
“I went up to the top and I saw the whole city of Paris,” she said.
After visiting the city of Caen and seeing Omaha Beach on the coast of Normandy, where the D-Day landings happened during World War II, Van Hook and her group boarded a ferry boat which took them on an overnight journey to England. There, the first stop was the town of Warwick.
“We camped out at Warwick Castle and we learned how to swordfight,” Van Hook said.
They also stopped in Oxford, home to the nation’s oldest university of the same name; Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare; and in Bath, home of Britain’s only natural hot spring.
Their London visit was packed with activities too – they visited a natural history museum, viewed the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, saw the Tower of London, cruised on the River Thames, took a spin on the London Eye, the world’s largest Ferris wheel, and rode on the Underground, the city’s subway.
Van Hook tried some new food while overseas, including her first croissant and bangers and mash, a potato and sausage dish common in England.
“Their lemonade is Sprite and their orange soda tastes different, too,” Van Hook said of ordering beverages in France.
Viewing the play, “The Lord of the Rings” wrapped up their two-week stay.
“I had a lot of fun and I got to meet new people,” she said.
Students can be nominated for People to People by their teachers, principals or another student. Van Hook raised about $4,000 for her journey. Elatris Van Hook said Sydney sold coupon books and candy and held fundraisers to collect donations for her voyage. Sydney is a member of her school’s student council, she is on two swim teams and she plays the viola, volleyball and basketball. People to People staff members look for leadership qualities and academic excellence in prospective candidates.
