Today@Sam Article
Students Embarked Upon Thailand 'Trip Of A Lifetime'
Dec. 5, 2017
SHSU Media Contact: Emily Binetti
Nineteen students from the College of Education at Sam Houston State University were able to check a mark off of their bucket lists when they traveled to Thailand in June as a part of a study abroad for education.
Led by faculty Karla Eidson and accompanied by fellow faculty member Rebecca Wentworth, students embarked upon the trip of a lifetime to experience the southeast Asian culture of Thailand. 
“Study abroad is my passion,” Eidson said. “I have been taking groups of college students overseas ever summer for over 10 years and I never stop being amazed at what an amazing teacher the world is for all of us.”
Students were able to teach at an English camp and observe classes at The School of Promise, a faith-based school created to educate the children from the hill tribes who would otherwise not be able to attend the public schools that only serve the citizens of major cities.
Teachers in the school are members of the Peace Corps in the United States and other service organizations located in Australia, England, the Philippines and Germany who volunteer their time in order to educate where they are needed.
Each student on the trip brought two bags with them: one filled with their personal belongs, and the other filled with paper, school supplies, textbooks, science lab materials among other things all to be donated by the SHSU College of Education supply drive.
“Being able to outfit an entire science lab with awesome materials and to put up colorful bulletin boards everywhere made us feel like we were making a difference,” Junior special education major Haley Fender said. “Every day we left feeling tired, but felt like we were doing something that really mattered in the life of a child.”
In addition to the nearly one ton of school related items brought to the school, SHSU students designed and painted a massive mural to bring colors to the playground area. Even in the intense heat and humidity, the Bearkats felt the passion of the school around them as the interacted with the students during the school day.
While not working in the school, the group was able to visit a hill tribe with the Karon people, ride and bathe elephants in the nearby river, visit numerous Buddhist temples and even learn to cook Thai food at a local cooking school.
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