In 2013, Upper School Spanish teacher, Mrs. Rebecca Watkins, was inspired to create the Global Studies Honors Program. When asked about her purpose for founding the program, Watkins stated, “I want kids at RMA to have some of the same learning opportunities that I enjoyed growing up. Problem solving, communicating, listening to other ideas, and sharing experiences [that] bring people together.” Mrs. Watkin’s college semester spent in Spain and her life-long passion for learning about other cultures, makes her a perfect leader for the group.

On Monday, October 6th, the Global Studies Honors Program welcomed ten new members: Brendan Acker, Ashley Bissette, Corbett Cobb, Julia High, Landin Johnston, Thomas Moore, Lauren Seale, Jack Thorp, Mackenzie Thompson, and Jacob Watkins. To become part of the program, applicants had to read J.F. Rischard’s High Noon: Twenty Global Problems, Twenty Years to Solve Them. This eye-opening book tells of twenty global issues ranging from maritime safety and forest depletion to the growing rate of poverty across the world. From this novel, students picked three global issues in which they found interest and wrote essays about what could be done on an individual level to bring about change or awareness. New student Thomas Moore said, “I’m excited about participating in the Global Studies program and look forward to the events and experiences ahead.”

Before graduation, all members must participate in an approved trip abroad that involves immersion in a culture, study of a foreign language for at least three years, participation in a school sponsored community service club, completion of specified course credits such as A.P. European History or Marine Biology, completion of fifteen hours of community service toward a global issue of the applicant’s choice, and creation of a senior capstone project based on a global issue. Seniors Ashley Bissette, Claire Stanovich, and Landin Johnston all have to complete projects this year. These students can choose to complete a problem-solving paper, shoot a documentary, or create a presentation about a global problem of their choice as their project. Although the project is not due until the Spring, Claire has already planned to create a documentary video on poverty and the ways in which society can help improve living conditions of all people. In this film, she plans to highlight her Soles 4 Souls shoe drive and tell of the ways the RMA Key Club will be fighting poverty under her leadership this year.

Another component of the Global Studies Honors Program are the yearly trips to foreign countries. In the summer of 2014, Mr. Watkins, Mrs. Watkins, and Ms. O’Brien led 24 students to Costa Rica to learn about the culture, see the sights, and practice conversational Spanish skills. For eight days, participants went white water rafting, ziplining through the lush rainforest, and completed service work in orphanages and schools. Traveler Samantha Sconyers stated that, “The trip I took to Costa Rica with school was unforgettable.” This upcoming summer, Mrs. Watkins plans to take a group of students to the Galapagos, a chain of islands located west of Ecuador. While in the Galapagos, travelers will experience first-hand the wildlife that inspired Charles Darwin, volunteer at a family farming community, and become immersed in aspects of the local culture. To participate in these trips, a student does not have to be enrolled in the Global Studies Honors Program, and only has to be in the eighth grade or higher. To sign up for the Galapagos Islands Trip in the Summer of 2015, contact Mrs. Watkins as soon as possible by email or phone.