On Finishing Up

You guys (TTS) rock with this termination advice on how to ease the girls transition home. It is this level of attention to detail and thoughtfulness about the well-being of our daughters that makes this program so unique.

Last fall after I read the TTS manual, I was impressed with how well prepared you were for taking care of our daughter. From the security/safety rules to the description of the teacher/student mentoring system, it was clear to us that Charlotte would be in good hands.

As we told friends and family about Charlotte's upcoming TTS trip, we were often asked if we were worried about her safety. I told them that I have not felt that kind of anxiety - in fact, I am probably more worried about Charlotte's safety when she is out driving at night on our country roads.

It was also a privilege to have gone on the Parent Trip. Visiting the Earth Lodge/Lake Atitlan and meeting all of the girls/teachers now gives us some common reference points with Charlotte. I'm sure that these shared experiences will mean a lot to all of us when she returns. The trip also gave us more insight as to the underlying approach to the classes and other activities.

For example, as much as I thought I understood the program, I didn't fully understand how rigorous the experience was for the girls until I walked in their shoes at Lake Atitlan. After a day of kayaking and hiking followed by academic classes and then having a long walk back to the hotel for dinner, I was beat. Of course the girls still had to walk back to the hostel and have 1½ hours of study hall while I grabbed a beer and went to the hot tub instead. Charlotte has been clear from start of the trip that the academic component of the TTS program was more rigorous than what she generally experiences in her home high school.

It has been delightful for us as parents to see how Charlotte has risen to meet the challenges of the trip. Of particular importance was that the girls have been challenged about their perceptions of what constitutes poverty. I was very impressed when we first met the girls at the language school and were then taken to meet the host families in their homes. Back in the day, I spent a lot of time in the Chiapas region of Mexico and lived in small rural beach communities with families in very similar circumstances to those that the girls were with. Most tourists only see these small villages from a distance and are generally struck by what they see as their abject poverty. That our girls got to spend time and get to know these families was a powerful experience for them. The impact of the experience on the girls was evident later that afternoon when the girls said goodbye to their new friends – there were plenty of hugs/tears/laughter. From the later trip reports, it sounds like the girls have continued to expand their knowledge and understanding of how one can connect and become a part of a community that is different from their community of origin. I am grateful that they have had this unique opportunity.

Another great experience that Charlotte has shared with us was her time spent with the Peace Corps worker in El Salvador. That wonderfully wacky TTS teacher Dawn Card did an amazing job in setting up the surfing and Peace Corps visits. That time period may have been the highlight of her trip.

Finally, we need to acknowledge how much Charlotte has enjoyed her time with the other girls and teachers. There is no doubt that the quality of these relationships is the key to the success of TTS13. She has already told us that she wants to stay in touch with her teachers and that she could see herself following some of their career/life tracks. She has reported that her time spent with her mentors was very special and that many of the girls relied a great deal of their mentors to get through some of the difficult times that they all faced. As for the girls, Charlotte has always been positive in speaking about them and she is sure that they will all be friends for life.


Again, thanks for everything that the TTS staff has done for our girls. We can’t wait to see them tomorrow.

Fondly,
Rob McConaghy