Hopkins Students Embark on Impactful Spring Break Trips

During Spring Break, held this year between March 9 and 20, Hopkins students traveled nationally and internationally to broaden their horizons and spend quality time together on a wide variety of School-led trips. 

From March 7 to 19, a group of students and faculty traveled to China for a two-week cultural and educational experience. The group explored Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, and Changsha. 

Led by Chinese instructors Lan Lin, Qi Li, and Ran Ran, students explored major historical and cultural sites—including the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors, and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding—and engaged with contemporary Chinese society.

The trip also included a visit to Hopkins’ sister school, Yali-Peicui School in Changsha, where students attended classes, participated in cultural activities, and stayed with host families. According to Lin, who also serves as the Modern Language Department Chair, the homestay experience provided students with a meaningful window into the daily life of Yali-Peicui students and helped them build genuine connections with their Chinese peers. Click here to learn more about the group’s experience at Yali-Peicui School.

“Throughout the trip, students demonstrated curiosity, adaptability, and strong cultural awareness as they navigated new environments and perspectives,” said Lin.

From March 9 to 19, a group of Hopkins history students and chaperones David Denaples, Jennifer Geel, and Dawn Card traveled through Denmark, Sweden, and Norway for the inaugural “Ultimate Viking Voyage: A Journey to Scandinavia.” The ten-day program focused on Viking maritime history, cultural development, and its enduring influence on the Scandinavian region and beyond.

Throughout the trip, students explored the Vikings’ global influence and the navigational technology that enabled their travel from North America to trade routes in the Middle East. To kick off the trip, the group landed in Oslo, Norway, where they focused on Viking ships, analyzing how naval engineering shaped historical navigation. Their time in Norway included a walking tour of the historic center of Oslo, the Opera House, the King's Palace, and the Historical Museum, which all surround a central park. They also visited the virtual reality Viking Planet Museum, the Edvard Munch Museum, and the National Museum of Norway.

After their time in Norway, the group embarked on an overnight cruise to Copenhagen, Denmark. During their stay, they visited the National Museum of Denmark, took a boat ride through the canals of Copenhagen, and explored the Viking Ship Museum in the medieval capital of Roskilde. Students also encountered burial mounds and rune stones documenting the Viking transition to Christianity at the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Jelling.

The itinerary concluded in Stockholm, Sweden, where students examined how Viking history continues to influence the development and layout of modern Nordic cities. According to Denaples, the Skansen Open-Air Museum, the Vasa Museum, the Viking Museum, and the historic town of Sigtuna were some of the highlights during their time in Sweden.

"One of the best aspects of these trips is knowing that the students are forming new relationships with each other, their teachers, and the world,” Denaples reflected. “These are the experiences that they will remember for life. Our students are a delight to travel with; they make it a joy for us teachers."

On March 6, 15 Hopkins students, chaperoned by Dr. du Plessis, Dr. Lytle, and Mr. Mannella, departed for a cultural and linguistic exchange in France.

The itinerary began in Paris, where students visited several historic sites, including the Sacré-Cœur, the Musée d'Orsay, Notre-Dame de Paris, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, and the Eiffel Tower.

“One of the biggest highlights for me was visiting the Pont du Gard, one of the best-preserved Roman aqueducts in the world,” recalled Mannella. “Being able to stand next to, touch, and walk through a piece of architecture that is 2,000 years old was awe-inspiring.”

The group subsequently traveled to the Loire Valley to study the architecture and history of four regional châteaux. Following this, the delegation traveled via TGV, the fastest train in the world, to southern France for a homestay program in Avignon. This immersive phase allowed students to reside with French families, solidifying connections with their peers that had been established through several months of correspondence.

“The kids had been communicating for several months at this point with their French exchange students, and everyone hit it off and became fast friends,” said Dr. du Plessis.

The exchange will continue in October 2026, when Hopkins prepares to host the French students on campus.

“For me, there were almost too many highlights to list,” recalled Mr. Mannella. “The trip was fantastic and an incredible experience overall.”

Several Hopkins Athletics teams spent spring break engaging in intensive training and regional competition in Orlando, Florida. 

During the first week of Break, from March 9 to March 13, Varsity Golf traveled to the Mission Inn Resort, where they maintained a rigorous pace at the 36-hole facility, playing 27 holes daily to sharpen their skills for the season ahead.

The Varsity Baseball, Varsity Girls Tennis, and Softball teams all traveled to Orlando in the second week of Break, from March 15 to March 20. Varsity Baseball and Softball participated in Kaylee Scholarship Association (KSA) Events Spring Training at Universal Studios. While there, the Baseball team scrimmaged teams from Connecticut, New York, and Minnesota. Similarly, the Softball team balanced practices and team-bonding activities with scrimmages against opponents from Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Meanwhile, Varsity Girls Tennis utilized the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Campus for a week of focused workouts, practices, and scrimmages.

The weeks of focused training, competition, and shared experiences strengthened team bonds and set a strong foundation for the challenges of the spring season ahead.