Pictured are Niagara University Graduate Students and Faculty visiting Rajinibon Girl’s School in Bangkok, Thailand along with faculty and administrators from the school.

On July 20, twenty-three Niagara University graduate students and faculty from the College of Education departed from campus to begin an eighteen day Asian trip, that one graduate student characterized as, “the trip of a lifetime to Thailand.” Although delayed at the outset, the group spent an unexpected day visiting Hong Kong on the way over and enjoyed visiting one of the most vibrant cities in the world.  The Niagara University students and faculty arrived in Bangkok where they met up with three additional members of our group who served as an “advance team.”  Within the first week we flew 600 miles to the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai and experienced bamboo rafting down a jungle river and elephant riding through rain forest to a hill tribe.  After several days the group traveled back to Bangkok for school visits and left again for a flight 600 miles south to the province of Phuket, now famous as the location where the Tsunami caused such damage last year.

On the return to Bangkok, students spent several days visiting schools within the city and having the opportunity to teach English to Thai students.  Drs. Mike Smith and Tom Sheeran also conducted workshops that assisted English language teachers from Canada, England, New Zealand and the Philippians with an understanding of constructivist methods and techniques.  Graduate student Julie Consentino, who participated in the study abroad trip, reflected on the experience in a summary of the journal she kept during this experience,

“There are several highlights of my trip, some scheduled and some spontaneous.  Every adventure was like a gift of knowledge about their customs, every temple or school visit was like a key to understanding their ways, and every smile from strangers on the street or in a market reflects the lovely spirit of all Thai people.  A common thread throughout my journal was how I felt about the people.  Simply put, Thai people are some of the kindest, most welcoming, generous, and thoughtful people I have ever met.”

Julie’s experience accurately reflects an almost universal feeling about the Thai people and about our interaction with them.  This trip was truly the experience of a lifetime, one that participants continue to express their appreciation for the range of opportunities they enjoyed.