Fulbright and SPABinternational, an unlikey combination

The Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar is not one of my programs, but my friend at the Fulbright Commission, Marcela, is charge of this one. In short, it brings a small number of primary, secondary, and tertiary educators in social studies-like fields to travel throughout Mexico for a month. This year’s group of 16 spent their month traveling through the southern regions of the Republic, starting in Cancun, Quintana Roo and moving northward to their final destination in Mexico City. Along the way they visited Aztec and Maya archaeological sites, museums, schools, tasted top-notch regional cuisine, and stayed in wonderful hotels with luxurious swimming pools - truly the hard life.



The last five days of the program took place here in Mexico City and I was able to tag along for the ride. We drank tequila in Plaza Garibaldi, navigated Xochimilco on traditional trajineras, visited the Basilica of Guadalupe (the spiritual epicenter of Mexico), climbed the temples of the Sun and the Moon in Teotihuacán, and saw breath taking Diego Rivera murals and Frida Kahlo paintings; all a brief insight into the countless treasures and adventures this city has to offer.



So what does this have to do with none other than the Society for the Preservation of Adolescent Behavior? As fate had it, two of the participants in the program happen to be from good ole Richmond, VA, and I have connections to them both.



Above are pictured none other than Joel Dexter, famed world traveler and James River High School History teacher, and Stephanie Stockman, Spanish teacher in Hanover, colleague of my Dad, and fellow SPAB enthusiast. Joel took a group of my peers and I to Costa Rica my senior year at JRHS and taught both of my sisters. Stephanie and I had never met before, but had the pleasure of discovering the SPAB connection while in Mexico City. Hell, she’s even been to Shenanigans!

BigDave, if you are reading this, SPABinternational truly is international now. Felicidades.

As always, click on a picture to see the rest of the set, hosted on Flickr.com.