Teacher takes students on summer trips around the globe

By Anne Spencer

Published: March 22, 2006

Each year for six years now during spring break, dozens of residents take leave of Jackson County in a group to visit foreign lands.

Most are students who are taking what could be the trip of their lives. The adults are either the students’ parents or those with some connection to the educational system, and for many of them the trip is one they’ve not taken before.

The person behind these annual group treks is a firestorm of a personality, Jacque Stokes-Taylor. As mother of two and a teacher at Jackson Academy, she firmly believes in the educational value of travel.

She’s seen the difference it makes in her children and those she teaches. After they come back from Europe, so much in their school books comes to life.

This week Jacque - she likes her first name - is leading a tour to Italy and Greece. She, her daughter Blair, and 28 others are visiting Rome - St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, museums, fountains and piazzas ? and Athens ? the Acropolis, the Parthenon and other ancient sights.

The travel bug bit Jacque when she was in high school, and after a job took her to Europe several times, she became passionate about students having the chance.

She talked about the student tours she leads before she and the others left last week.

“This is the sixth group I’ve led to Europe,” she began. There was excitement in her voice with her first words out, but then every time Jacque speaks she’s excited; that’s the kind of person she is.

“I can remember when I was a senior in high school in Graceville, some students went to Europe, and I swore that one day I’d find a way to get there.

“Then (after she married) when we lived in Palatka, I taught school, but I was also with an herbal supplement company, and they sent me to Europe three or four times.

“When I’d come home, my children would gather around and want to know where I’d been. And they’d look at the pictures and the currency, and they wanted to know if they could come. And I thought the only way we could do that was if I started leading tours.”

That may seem like a big jump for some people, but to Jacque it just made sense.

“I didn’t know anything about it, but I researched what was out there and came up with this company Explorica, whose president had been the president of the largest student tour company for 15 years before he started his own business.

“I had the company checked out legally, financially, every way I could, and I decided to go with them.

“I decided my tours, rather than being a bunch of juniors and seniors who wanted to go to party, the focus of my tours would be more family-oriented. In fact, the majority of the students I take travel with a parent, a grandparent or some relative.”

Sometimes, she said, relatives even fly in from other states to join family members on a tour.

“A lot of my families are repeats,” she said. “If they don’t go every year, they go every other year.”

“Another reason I use this company is they allow my travelers to pay by the month, so it makes these trips very affordable.”

Jacque said that when her family moved back to Jackson County, she thought few would be interested in the trips. However, that hasn’t been the case.

She has had plenty of interest, even though she doesn’t advertise. It’s all word of mouth.

A trip usually cost about $1,500 per student and about $2,000 per adult, which includes plane fare, hotels, two meals a day, tips and guided tours for usually 10 days.

“We have a lot of teachers, administrators, a variety of people who travel,” Jacque said. “All ages, but it is student-based and fast-paced, because it is getting in and seeing as many cultural and educational venues as possible.”

Jacque said she considered at one time trying to get the school system to partner in the trips, but decided not to go that route.

“I do not do these as a school-based tour because of the liability the school system would have. And if we did it as a school tour, we would have to fall under all of the district rules. Plus, I want to lead these tours and satisfy my travelers rather than any rules or guidelines set by the district.”

Jacque says the rewards for her and those who have taken the trips are immense. Along with her teaching degree, she has a degree in the visual arts, and she loves to share her love of art and architecture.

“As a teacher, I feel like my most important job is what I do on these 10 days. I can share more; I can open up the world to them; I can show them culture, art, architecture, customs, more than I ever could in 10 months teaching in the classroom.”

Jacque said she realized the value of travel the first time she took her daughter to Paris.

“I looked over at Blair at the top of the Eiffel Tower, and I thought, this is more valuable than any other gift I could ever give my child. She understands that before her is the world and it’s hers for the taking.”

Indeed, Blair, though still in high school, has set her sights on a career in international relations.

After you’ve been in London, Paris, Florence or Rome, Jacque said, “You truly know what cathedrals are, you know how other people live. And even if you’re going to come back and live in Jackson County for the rest of your life, you want to come back and live here and make it more culturally aware, more informed, more cognizant of the fact that we need to improve our streets, our buildings, our homes.

“It’s a once in a lifetime experience, showing your students that foreign language, history, literature, the arts, the sciences and any other subject doesn’t have to stay in the classroom.”

Even while just sitting at a sidewalk cafe, having lunch, sensing the surroundings is great, she said.

“As you see the Leaning Tower of Pisa or walk down cobblestone steps, you become a three-dimensional person,” going back in time, she said. “I think I’m a better person living here (in Marianna) because I’ve traveled and I’ve brought fragments of Europe back with me.”

Jacque has been to many European cities, including Prague and Vienna. Last year’s tour took the group to London, Paris, Versailles, cities in Northern Italy, and Monaco. This year’s tour is Southern Italy and Greece.

The group flew into Rome for two days and now has headed south down the Italian peninsula to Sorrento, Patras and Pompeii. They will ferry to Greece to do Athens and take a three-island cruise before heading back.

Next year’s tour is already booked to the British Isles. Jacque is planning for Switzerland and France in 2008.

Jacque has made it a point to get the same tour guide for five years, Lucia Albertini, who lives in Rome. While Jacque is the tour leader, Albertini guides the group through the castles, shops, factories like lace and leather, and other sights.

“This is her fifth year with us, and she is considering coming over and staying with me two to three months and teaching the Italian language to some of my travelers. We have become very good friends,” Jacque said.

One member of Jacque’s family has only traveled with them once, her husband Joe. Also her son JoJo tends to stay home now because he plays baseball. But by the time Blair finishes school, she will have made nine trips.

“I just couldn’t live without going to Europe,"Jacque said. As the organizer of the group, she gets compensation, but has to pay for her daughter, so “instead of going out to eat so much or buying that extra outfit, I just put some money away.”

As for other students, Jacque says they do some fund-raisers to help them with their fare. The students who go aren’t just those whose parents can easily afford the trip.

But it is truly a family affair. Last year a family of five went. This year a family of six is on the trip.

Jacque has a history of education in her family. Her father, M.R. Stokes, served as principal at local schools ? in Sneads, Cottondale, Graceville and Marianna.

“He always told us anything in the world you want to accomplish, you just work toward the goal. And that’s the way I view my trips to Europe.

“My biggest regret is that my mother loved to travel, but she died 16 years ago. She was also an educator, Willa Dean Stokes.”

Naturally, Jacque has various pieces of art and mementoes of her trips at her home and in her classroom. She holds meetings each winter to give tips to those who’ve signed up, and one is to pack clothes you won’t mind leaving behind after you’ve worn them a couple of days, so you’ll have room in your suitcase for things you’ve bought.

But Jacque doesn’t really travel to bring back things. She stores greater treasures, memories, in her heart.