The Canadian skiing program, “Snow Escape,” was a student-organized trip for three days to Quebec, Canada during winter break.
Attendees bonded with each other while experiencing a new kind of freedom through an international adventure.
Senior and Snow Escape representative Helena Ristic led 15 other Marshall students to Mont-Tremblant, a city in Quebec, for a winter break filled with skiing, laser tag, ice skating, eating and overall bonding shared with a variety of other Fairfax County Public Schools.
Chaperones monitored the group thrice daily at check-in times when they congregated.
The participants had to say their names so the chaperones would know they were okay, but Ristic said they still had freedom that many other school trips lack.
“We weren’t alone, but [the chaperones] didn’t babysit us,” Ristic said. “We got our food whenever we wanted to, and it was fun. It wasn’t as though we felt we didn’t have freedom. We could stay out as late as we wanted.”
While in Mont-Tremblant, there were a variety of activities to enjoy.
But senior Damir Hrnjez said the trip was primarily about getting to ski and snowboard on some of the best mountains.
On the bus trip to Canada, students from different schools began as strangers for the most part, but soon the participants from other schools started to mingle.
“I definitely liked in the beginning [while] on the way to Canada, we didn’t really know anyone on the bus except our friends, but in the end everyone was talking and switching seats to hang out,” Ristic said.
Ristic said the trip brought peers closer, despite being from different schools.
“I met kids from Centreville, South Lakes and Madison,” Ristic said.
Not only did the program bring new peers closer together, Ristic felt closer to her peers from Marshall.
“It was also fun because [my] room was with Marshall girls, and I got closer to some of the girls who go to Marshall which was nice.”
Ristic recommended the experience and encourages even more students to attend next year.
“I highly recommend it,” Ristic said.
