As international students prepare for their final exams this week, they reflect back on the many memories and lessons they have learned during their nine months at Everest. They have been on countless outings – including a recent final trip to Mackinac Island (pictured) and spent hours studying, serving, praying, and growing in friendships. When asked, their favorite outing by far was Cedar Point, echoed by nearly every student in the program.
They carry with them many favorite memories including the most-popular response of the trips to Italy and the Holy Land as well as Friday night football games, snow days, friendships, school dances, and the visit of the international program former students.
Many shared the greatest lessons they had learned as well:
“For me, my greatest lesson that I learned was to be more organized with my time and stuff but also to be less attached to my mom and dad.” -Marcelo Padilla
“I learned that making mistakes is okay, but if you try to fix them; that God will always be on our side in the bad and good decisions we make. I also learned how to open myself to complete strangers that now are my family.” -Raquel Serna
“One of the greatest lessons I got from Everest is how to manage my own time and be more responsible about my things at the house, my things at school, and in sports.” -Emiliano Lavin
“God is the most important thing in our life. I learned this thanks to the many Masses, talks, Eucharistic hours. and religious times we had. One of the most important factors was the life-changing Easter trip in the Holy Land.” -Juan Pablo Carrillo
“One of the greatest lessons I have learned in Everest is being grateful. This because being grateful to me means lot of thing like learning how to share, or make new friend, new experiences, or maybe just learning how to do your bed correctly. I have done and see lots of new things that now make me realize of lots of things and simply make me grateful.” -Bianca Gerini
“To take advantage of being with all your friends and to enjoy it, and that little things make big differences.” -Santiago Sanchez
“One of the greatest lessons that I have learned is to always think of others and not be selfish. We came to a new place, and we live with 15 new girls that are going through the same as you are. We need each other to get through the year.” -Sofia Hernandez
Congratulations, international program generation 22-23, on a great year!
