Education

Bonjour Paris

Hancock teacher organizes international trip

HANCOCK- Hancock High School French and English teacher Jenn Smith is no stranger to leading student trips to Paris, France. As a foreign-language teacher in Ohio many years ago, she had done it close to 10 times. Thus, when she returned to teach in the Copper Country eight years ago, the Marquette (MI) native thought she would pick up where she left off -easier said than done.

"We would have meetings to explain the trip, and no one would come," she said. "The big issue was that the tour company that I was using became too expensive. It was frustrating. So, I decided to put the trip together myself and see what we would come up with, and it worked."

This past June, Smith, 14 students and five adults spent a week taking in the sights and sounds of Paris.

"In organizing the travel and our itinerary, I received a call from Hancock alumna Barba Kauppi who was willing to donate $5,000 towards the trip," Smith explained. "She wanted to fund a travel event for the school, and here I was. Not only that but the Hancock Foundation matched that. Obviously, that was a huge help."

Smith told the Daily Mining Gazette that with those two donations, she was able to save the kids around $1,000 each on travel expenses.

"I couldn't have done it without them," she added.

She said the trip went very well as they toured Paris - visiting the Louve, Notre Dame and of course the Eiffell Tower. Among the Hancock students was senior Erik Wanhala and his mom, Kristin.

"I enjoyed the experience of Paris and seeing how different it is there," said Erik. "I loved the Eiffell Tower which allowed us to see all of Paris up high. I also liked the shopping and trying the different food and drink."

His mom echoed a similar sentiment.

"It was an amazing experience to see Paris through the eyes of our high school students," she said. "I loved the artwork and architecture. Spotting the Eiffel Tower from many places around the city was another favorite thing to do."

When she is not teaching French or English, Smith can be found coaching Hancock's cross-country squad and the school's track team. Bulldogs' junior Kysa Givens is one of her cross-country runners and had the opportunity to go for a memorable jog with her coach though Paris.

"To see the places I had learned and dreamed about for so many years was surreal," she recalled. "The run to Sacre Coeur one morning was amazing. I also enjoyed spending time with some of my classmates outside of school. Hanging out with friends in Paris created unforgettable memories."

The trip was so successful that Smith is already eyeing a return to France in the summer of 2025.

" It was a lot of work to organize it, but well worth it," she noted. "The kids loved it."