Camille Tedeschi put her summer vacation to good use doing what she loves the most: traveling. The Huntington High School social studies teacher trekked across the world, visiting distant lands, soaking in as much as she could and enjoying every minute of it.
Camille Tedeschi has traveled to countries across the globe
“I spent my summer traveling, which is similar to my previous summers, but this time I got to explore new areas I have never visited before and push my limits with a variety of physical challenges, including hiking to base camp of Mount Everest in Tibet,” Ms. Tedeschi said.
The veteran Huntington faculty member has visited more countries across more continents than any other district teacher. She has traveled to so many places that she feels comfortable anywhere in the world.
“Travel is the best education and I always learn from my travels,” Ms. Tedeschi said. “It is exciting for me to know about certain things, but then to travel and learn more in depth about those topics. For example, during my time in South Asia, I was fortunate to learn more about Buddhism. One of my favorite memories is the use of prayer flags. They represent good luck and good fortune and are used in a variety of ways. When I was in Bhutan I luckily participated in placing prayer flags on a mountain with a group of Buddhist followers. It was a Buddhist holiday and the locals were just kind to welcome my friend and I into their lives to experience the ceremony.”
Ms. Tedeschi now has her feet back on the ground in Huntington, but she’s already planning her next set of trips and continuing to enjoy vivid memories of previous treks to faraway places. This past summer offered the longtime educator with some exceptional experiences.
“As I prepare to teach tenth grade Global History I reflect a lot on where I have been,” Ms. Tedeschi said. “The world is an amazing place. I spent time in Egypt, Israel and Jordan and was in awe of how much history those areas have to offer. I gained a greater knowledge of religion as I traveled through all of these destinations. In Egypt, the mythology was fascinating and being able to see the pyramids in person is indescribable. Jerusalem is full of religion and history. I was fortunate to wander through the old city and learn so much first hand. One of the highlights for me during that adventure was to visit the Temple Mount. It is a holy site for all three monotheistic faiths, but it is also an area of tension. Understanding the people and their ties to these sacred places brought together so much of the history I teach in the second half of Global 10.”
Ms. Tedeschi said the following quote from Kurt Tucholsky, a German essayist of Jewish origin really stuck in her mind after she visited the Yad Vashem Museum in Jerusalem: “A country is not just what it does-it is also what it tolerates.”
“I was also moved after learning about Janusz Korczak,” Ms. Tedeschi said. “There is a monument dedicated to him at this museum site. It is a powerful and moving story about a teacher who would not leave his students during the Holocaust and died with them. One of the many heroes to emerge during such a tragic event in history.”
The Huntington teacher had to keep her emotions in check as she walked around some of the most historic lands in the world. “Visiting these sites is sad, but so important,” Ms. Tedeschi said. “I feel honored to have learned more than I knew as I entered the museum to best prepare myself to teach my students who will be the people to continue to do great things and change this world. It doesn’t matter your religion or political affiliation. We are members of the human race and should treat each other humanely.”
