EPHS students step into their studies with spring break in England and Scotland

Seven Eden Prairie High School students stepped into the real-life places from their studies over spring break, spending a week in England and Scotland with English teacher Linda Wallenberg.

The group of students in grades 10 to 12 visited London, Stratford-upon-Avon, York and Edinburgh from March 28 to April 4. Wallenberg, lovingly known as Wally, originally planned the trip around the themes of theater and Shakespeare. After their itinerary was combined with one created by a group from California, they got an extra dose of history as well. Though she has traveled extensively, including teaching in England, Wallenberg’s spring break excursion was her first time leading a student trip. Her colleague, history teacher Pam Skaar Meier, encouraged her to take a trip like this before retiring.

“It was so gratifying to see their eyes open wide, to have them bring in the curriculum that they had still carried with them somewhere deep inside that all of a sudden just bubbled over when they actually saw the Globe Theatre,” Wallenberg said. “When they walked inside, their eyes were just eyes of wonder and curiosity and sparkle, and clearly, they knew that they were experiencing something that was extraordinary.”

The students went from performing as Capulets and Montagues in the classroom to quoting Shakespeare’s work at its place of origin. In addition to the Globe Theatre, they visited his birthplace, his burial site and the Royal Shakespeare Company. They used the different locations to film a video with tour manager Paul Daley, quoting words and phrases coined by the bard himself.

The group also brought their interest in theater into the modern era. They spent their first night at an evening of musical performances in the crypt at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, a historic church and event space. The crowd even serenaded senior Lauren Mertz for her 18th birthday. Later in the trip, they attended “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Back to the Future: The Musical” at the West End Theatre.

The instructor from California teaches AP history, leading to stops at Durham, Hadrian’s Wall and Edinburgh. The original itinerary included mostly repeat sites for Wallenberg, so the additions allowed her to experience several firsts alongside her students.

“It was a perfect dose of everything,” Wallenberg said. “I always quote Alexander Pope, who said, ‘A little learning is a dangerous thing. Drink deep.’ And that is exactly what they did. They had a very rich, deepened experience, and there was no skimming about the surface.”

From research to real life

The students researched landmarks before the trip and regularly impressed the tour manager with their knowledge. Junior Ella Cardon researched Notting Hill, the British Museum and Edinburgh Castle, among other landmarks. The research, along with her knowledge from school, made her first trip out of the U.S. that much better.

“It provided some context for the things that I was looking at to really help make the trip a deeper experience,” Cardon said. “Because the more you know about the places that you’re in, the more impactful it can be when you’re actually walking through a place that people performed Shakespeare or royalty in the past have walked.”

Though it was a lot of information to process and a lot of walking, Cardon said it was all worth it. She enjoyed having a small group because it allowed them to do things that a larger group wouldn’t be able to. It also helped them become “like a little family.” One of her favorite parts of the trip was sitting down for dinner together.

“Usually on trips, you eat fast so that you can keep going and see as much as you can, but I really enjoyed the times each night when we would sit down [to eat],” Cardon said. “We would all talk about what we had seen and what we did and how we were feeling, and just that time of connection was really important.”

Before the trip, she remembers hearing Wallenberg tell them the travel company’s tagline, “Travel changes lives.” She thought it was nothing but a cheesy cliché at first. She returned with a new perspective, many memories and a sense of profound gratitude for the opportunity. 

It’s hard for her to pick out her favorite landmarks, but one highlight was visiting the Tower of London shortly after they stepped off the plane. It served as a trial run for the rest of the trip and spurred anticipation for the places to come.

“We hit the ground running, and we were able to see so much just within that one tourist spot that it really got me excited for more,” Cardon said. “Then it just kept getting better as the trip went on.”

Junior Leah Anderson loved seeing the architecture at Westminster Abbey, York Minster and Edinburgh Castle. But one of her most loved elements of the trip wasn’t a landmark but rather the way they traveled between them.

“I really loved getting to take the Tube around London, which I was not expecting,” Anderson said. “The subways here scare me, but going there, it was super nice, and it ended up being a really fun part of the trip.”

She used to be afraid to travel without her parents, especially getting on a plane or navigating a new place. Now, she’s excited to return to Europe and the United Kingdom in particular. She’s always had an interest in Britain and its people, so the trip grew her love and curiosity for the culture.

Combining the classic and the unconventional 

As an actress and a theater-lover, Anderson was initially drawn to the trip due to its theater connections. Seeing two professional productions at the West End was a high point for her. After studying Shakespeare in English class and for theater performances, being at the Globe Theatre transported her back in time.

“When we were there, there were actually some actors practicing a little bit on stage, rehearsing for a show,” she said. “That was so cool to see people are still performing these shows that have been performed for hundreds of years in this same space where they were first performed, so that was really special to me to be able to be in that space.”

Along with the classic sites and experiences, the group also included some less conventional attractions on their journey. They took several ghost tours as well as a walking tour about Jack the Ripper. The tours highlighted lesser-known parts of the cities’ histories and included immersive elements like reenactments with actors and volunteers.

The group also attended a haggis tasting in Scotland. Haggis is a sausage-like dish made of sheep organs, spices and other ingredients, which comes with a fairly bad reputation. Anderson was certain she would skip the haggis before they left for the trip, but after being there and witnessing the preamble to the tasting, she changed her mind and was pleasantly surprised.

“The haggis tasting was definitely something that stood out about the trip,” she said. “They read the poem before, and that was really entertaining and cool to see this tradition. (It) showed how different aspects of culture, food and art come together to create a cultural identity.”

Senior Sohum Agrawal didn’t try the haggis, but he has a deep appreciation for the traditions that came with it. Hearing the poem made him feel more “culturally embedded,” like he was experiencing something more than the average tourist. He was also pleasantly surprised by other dishes from the trip.

“There’s the stigma around British food,” he said. “It’s plain, it’s just beans, but I thought it was really good.”

The trip was full of unexpected highlights for him. He gained a new appreciation for urban areas, though he still got a dose of nature by hiking Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano in the hills of Edinburgh. He’s never been especially interested in theater, but after seeing shows overseas, he has a newfound desire to see more.

He also struck a connection with Paul Daley, the tour manager. Agrawal was impressed by his deep knowledge and passion for his work, so he made it a point to ask as many questions as he could. Their conversations led to many obscure facts and interesting realizations, such as the story behind a simple park.

“It was just a nice grassy area. He asked me, ‘Do you know why there’s nothing here? This is where they used to put the people who died from the Black Death, the plague victims. They would bury them there,’” he said. “Everyone was too scared to settle there, so now it’s just a park that people are having a picnic in.”

Along with a great deal of new information, Agrawal also took home a special memento: a classic British flat cap. It caught his eye in Oxford, and he’s sported the cap nearly every day since returning home. His only regret is not getting one for his grandfather, but he considers it a good reason to go back.

An appreciation for travel, and for Wally

Agrawal, Anderson and Cardon were all more interested in the trip when they found out Wallenberg would be leading it. They knew her passionate and engaging approach to teaching would translate well to travel. They’re all inspired to travel more, thanks in part to her influence.

Wallenberg is grateful to have had a group that was so rooted in the experience, calling it a “high point” in her life and career. Phones were used as cameras to collect memories rather than the usual distractions, and the students truly made the trip their own. The many pictures they took together serve as a testament to the joy and connection they cultivated.

“I certainly was able to see it through the eyes of my students directly, as opposed to just telling them about it,” Wallenberg said. “It was so satisfying not to feel that I needed to be up front, but I felt like I experienced this side by side, linked arms together.”

She was nervous at first since she had never led a student trip, but now she wishes she had started doing it years ago. She’s hoping to host another trip or two before she reaches 50 years of teaching in Eden Prairie, a milestone that’s just a few years away.  

People often ask her when she’ll retire. She’s had the option for over 10 years. She could be at home and getting the same paycheck, but she considers teaching an act of love. Education Minnesota named her the Minnesota Teacher of the Year on May 4, a distinction her students say is well-deserved. Though honored, Wallenberg said the joy of her students is the only recognition she needs.

“I do it because it’s what I’m here for,” Wallenberg said. “As long as I know that there is something that I can help inspire and to have lives breathe a little easier because I’m there, I will continue to show up and learn alongside my students.”