If you’ve called us about a Summer Academy tour or received a tour packet, you’ve probably heard of Moray Cucchiari, our Summer Academy Program Consultant. She recently gave us a run-down of her pre-season activities for Summer Academy 2007.

What do you do at Explorica?
A little bit of everything.  I’ve been with Explorica since August 2005, and I have been the Summer Academy’s Program Consultant since December 2005. My main role is to work with students and parents in every phase of the program—choosing which academy to attend, helping with pre-departure information and planning, being a contact while the student is away (if any questions arise), and also getting feedback once the program has ended.

Have you been on a Summer Academy Tour?
This last summer I went on the Italian Language program, and it was WONDERFUL!  I have so many great memories of the trip, but the funniest was strolling through Piazza Navona in Rome one night, and passing a street performer playing “Bohemian Rhapsody” on his guitar.  One of the girls in my group immediately stopped and started belting out the lyrics at the top of her lungs! The rest of us were hysterical, especially when a crowd of tourists gathered around. It was a great group. I am dying to go on our South Pacific Cultures Program next, since it is definitely my favorite itinerary of all our programs. This tour is amazing because it covers so much ground in a relatively short period of time. Thanks to careful arrangement of all the flights for this trip, the participants get to see many of Australia’s most amazing sites in one trip.

What questions are you asked the most this time of year?
“Should I go alone or with a friend?”  The answer is, “Either one!”  About half of our travelers sign up with a friend, and the other half go solo.  Our trips are designed to foster a great group environment, so it will be easy to have fun and make friends either way. 

What’s your best advice to teens when traveling on an Explorica Summer Academy?
The best advice I can give our travelers is to keep an open mind and a positive attitude while you’re away.  It sounds cheesy, but it can really make the difference between a good day and a bad one.  I like to remind students that their most annoying experience will probably end up being their funniest travel story!

Contact Moray for more information on Summer Academy tours.