50 people, most who had not met each other before, together for 14 days. This may seem like an interesting dynamic. Well, let me say, the dynamic was great. My name is Ron Van Der Pol, and I had the privilege of coordinating and leading 46 students, our monitor, Dawn Habada, our chaperone, Karen Maduschke, and our bus driver, Bryan Collins on our Belo West Coast Tour. As I reflect on the last 13 days, I continue to have one thing come to mind; a smooth and genuinely enjoyable trip. This particular group of students was a curious, respectful, and fun bunch to work with. My goal as the coordinator of this trip was to give the students a two-week tour of a particularly unique and beautiful part of the United States. As a native of the West Coast, I enjoyed sharing a variety of the sights, landmarks, and the history of this part of the country. In our time together, we saw the Arizona desert, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Southern California, Yosemite National Park and the San Francisco Bay Area. There were simply too many awesome memories to share in one blog post. I would instead challenge you to ask one of the students who were a part of this trip what they gained from it. When I introduced myself, and the tour, on the first day, I explained that I wanted our group to work as a team. Well, looking back our smooth and enjoyable trip was in large part due to the students doing their part as a part of our big team. It was enjoyable to be the leader of this fine team of students and leaders. I am thankful that these students took part in this Belo Usa Travel Experience.
Ron Van Der Pol
Belo USA West Coast Trip Coordinator
