Stratford students spent the summer exploring various parts of the world, learning about different cultures, and bringing back exciting memories as souvenirs.

Jake, Allie, and Ansley Edwards traveled to Italy in July with their parents and cousins.

Jake Edwards said that riding the gondolas in Venice was his  favorite memory from the trip, but he also enjoyed outdoor activities like hiking in Cinque Terre along the Italian coast.

Traveling to Venice, Cortona, Rome, and Florence, he said the family visited “interesting museums that eventually became boring because they were only full of paintings.”

He also was surprised by the local cuisine.

“I found that I definitely prefer American-Italian food to traditional Italian food,” he said.

In early June, sophomore Ann Thompson participated in an 11-day mission trip to Entebbe and Lira, Uganda, to distribute water filters to poor villagers who lacked clean water sources. She boarded three different planes to make her journey with the TivaWater organization based in Knoxville, Tenn.

“Outside of the U.S., there are lots of countries full of poor people, but just small amounts of money and time can solve their issues,” Thompson said.

During her trip she bonded with the local people, learning their dances and, her favorite, “playing soccer with the little kids who were really good at it.”