A group of 51 community members and Black River Technical College employees and students traveled to Italy over spring break. BRTC art instructor Dr. Sandy Davis-Baltz led the trip.
The group travelled over 20 hours to arrive in Milan, Italy, where they rode a bus for 3 hours to arrive in Florence ,the birthplace of the Renaissance. They visted Milan, Florence, Assissi, and Rome.
Highlights of the trip include viewing the leaning tower of Pisa, Michelangelo’s famous David statue, the Pantheon, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine chapel, and the Roman Colosseum. The group took a cooking class with Scuola di Arte Culinaria “Cordon Bleu” and enjoyed authentic Italian fare.
The timing of the tour coincided with Easter Holy Week. Several members attended mass on Good Friday in Rome.
BRTC’s Student Government Association provided financial aid for the fifteen students who traveled, two of whom received all expenses paid. Students who attended are Tori Clairday, Shayla Dickson, Savannah Evans, Brea Glenn, Mackenzie Hibbs, Tucker Hurst, Kaylan Hutsell, Dawn Jansen, Katelyn Leonard, Melodie Palmer, Jacob Pipkin, Hannah Powers, Paige Ratliff, Bridget Saffell, and Garret Wilbanks.
BRTC employees that traveled were Mary Anderson, Sandy Baltz, Mantha Baltz, Dana Bradford, Angie Caldwell, Courtney Clements, Dr. Derek Clements, Rex Flagg, Vickie French, Travis Harris, Janice Harvey, Bridget Palmer, Patricia Sanderson, Dr. Eric Turner, and Sharon Watson.
Community members attending were Kathy Adkins, Dawayne Anderson, Kathy Camp, Katlyn Castleberry, Ruth Ann Ellis, Gena Farrin, Debra Flagg, Penny French, Donna Harness, Tina Harris, Nedra Nichols, Debbie Prichard, Pat Reynolds, Hannah Riggs, Lark Sigsby, Katie Tracy, Barbara Turner, Emma Turner, Erma Ulmer, Betty White and Catherine Woodworth.
The next BRTC international tour will be to Switzerland, Germany, and Venice in late May/early June 2017. Contact Karen Liebhaber with BRTC for more information.