Students at WJ have diverse plans for this upcoming spring break: they could be going to the beach, staying home or even working.

Though some may wonder why a student would choose to spend their breaks working, senior Johanna Young looks forward to her spring break plans to train as a lifeguard.

“It sounds interesting and fun,” Young said. “Usually, I just hang out with some friends or go on a family trip.”

In contrast, fellow senior Maria Chu will be attending this year’s school related spring break trip to Italy.

She will be going with students from other schools as they visit Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice, Assissi, Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri. Chu is excited for the trip, and has even planned her food intake.

“I’ve been rationing the amounts of ice cream and pizza I eat, so when I get the gelato and pizza in Italy, it’ll taste amazing,” said Chu, who spent last year’s spring break studying for the SAT.

Chu advises students to not work during breaks.

“Don’t weigh yourself down with the same work you try to avoid when we do have school,” Chu said.

Chu believes the main benefit of her spring break will be an ultimate stress relief.

“I wanted a trip to end my senior year right… [I want to] release all the stress that high school accumulated,” Chu said.

Young agrees that it’s important to avoid stress during the break, though she is happy to be helping others with her job.

“I think this is the most effective thing I could be doing at this moment,” Young said.

Italian teacher and trip sponsor Maria Cavallini thinks traveling is a great opportunity for students to immerse themselves in culture. She truly enjoys the trips with students.

“My favorite part of traveling with the students is seeing their reactions to [art, monuments, etc]… it makes their understanding so much richer,” Cavallini said.

Cavallini, who lived in Rome for 21 years, looks forward to showing students around her home.

“I can also enrich their experiences with my personal experiences, having lived in Rome for so many years,” said Cavallini. However, she understands why some students may choose to work instead of vacation during break.

“They [may not] have a choice… perhaps they want to make money during the holidays,” Cavallini said.

Chu believes that students can balance their work and their leisure time.

“Try to time yourself wisely… set up time for studying, but set more time to relax,” Chu said.

Young is motivated to work through a desire to help others.

“If I can help, I’m going to help as much as I can,” said Young, who still expects to relax this spring break.

“My favorite part overall is that [spring break is] just a moment to relax and not worry about school,” Young said.

Be it honing their lifeguard skills or enjoying gelato in Italy, students have a diverse number of options for spending this upcoming spring break.