Bumping up and down in the back of an old covered truck in Central Africa or standing 100 yards away from a pack of wolves are not typical situations for anyone to be in, let alone a high school student during a summer vacation.

Junior Madison Treat went to Uganda for two months this summer with the Christian organization Team Missions International, which sponsors mission trips to foreign countries. While Treat was there, she was not able to communicate with her family back in the United States.

“I want to go into the mission field, and I wanted something as hardcore as it could get,” Treat said. “It was a real challenge, and I wanted challenge.”

Treat went to different villages in Uganda to help children and communities in the country. She helped many children and members of small communities directly.

“My team and I traveled around to different bases and gave out shoes to children and washed their feet,” Treat said. “We also did construction around the bases we went to. The people and children were some of the most amazing people I [have] ever met. They are so passionate and filled with life.”

One memory in particular stood out to Treat.

“We traveled deep out into this village,” Treat said. “There was this little church and huts everywhere.  It was the most beautiful place I had ever been to. Everything about it was incredible.”

  Sophomore Landyn Melton did not go outside the country, but instead traveled across it. Melton went on a summer trip that covered 10 states in 11 days.  

“We ended up driving five thousand miles and about fifty hours total during our trip,” Melton said. “My family and I first went to Badlands National Park, then to Yellowstone, then to Estes, and then Rocky Mountain National Park.”

Melton and his family spent most of their time in Yellowstone National Park, exploring the more than two million acres that the park covers.

“We went horseback riding along these mountains for three and a half hours,” Melton said. “It was an awesome experience.”

August 25th was the National Parks centennial, the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Parks. Melton praised the protection of National Parks.

“It is very important [that] national parks are protected,” Melton said. “National parks are a gateway to millions of acres of pure wilderness, and that is very special. National Parks give you a different perspective on a lot of things. You never really understand how much wilderness and animals there are to be protected until you visit a National Park.”