Kalen Bergado

Hello, I am Kalen Bergado, I will be entering my junior year at C.K. McClatchy. I am the only child of two loving parents and have traveled around the world, but lived only in Sacramento. Some of my passions are riding bicycles, drawing, photography, exquisite cuisine, and traveling the world. This trip to Africa will help to expand my knowledge of cultures around the world.

I chose to go on this trip to Ghana for several reasons, mainly I believe this is a once in a lifetime chance. In itself, traveling to Africa will be an incredible experience that I hope will change my outlook on the world and to develop my understanding of world cultures. I am extremely excited to be able to help people when I am in Ghana and to help to provide supplies and resources for people in need. I’m looking forward to giving back to the global community, after all that has been given to me. I hope to have expanded my pallet in terms of international cuisine. After this trip I hope to gain a new insight on the lives of people in different cultures and to touch the life of at least one person.


Rachel Busch

My name is Rachel Busch. I’m going to be a junior at C.K. McClatchy High school this fall. In my free time I like to read, play soccer, and spend time with my friends and family. I love to travel and learn about the cultures of others, which is probably the main reason I decided to embark on this trip. I was really excited when I heard about this trip to Ghana, because I have always wanted to go to Africa. I am really looking forward to buying many magnificent African souvenirs. I hope to gain a broader understanding of the world and those who inhabit it on this trip. I want to see the world. I think that on this trip I will also gain a better understanding of myself. I’m hoping that this trip will be extremely fun and life changing.


Taylor Chang

As I enjoy my summer before entering my senior year at Christian Brothers High School, I am eagerly looking forward to my trip to Ghana, Africa. While at home, I fill my days with laughter, friendship, and lasting memories that reflect who I am as a person. My family and friends played a large role in my decision to attend this trip and because of their amazing support, I am soon to embark on an awesome journey of discovery.

Always fascinated by foreign cultures and traditions, I feel that this trip will provide me with an opportunity to pursue my interests and dreams. By immersing myself in African culture, I can add to my knowledge of the macroscopic world while simultaneously giving back an awareness of American culture. I believe this experience will be an enriching and enjoyable way to spend a month of my summer. Also, I hope that throughout my trip I can learn about myself, my fellow trip mates, and Ghana as a developing nation.


Ben Freedlander

Greetings, I am Ben Freedlander and will be returning to C.K. McClatchy as a junior. I enjoy playing sports, hanging out with friends and long walks on the beach.

I told my parents before I entered CKM that if there was an Africa trip, I would be attending. Thanks to them passing on their knowledge of travel and giving me numerous opportunities to travel, the world has become more accessible. They have granted me the chance to embark on a trip that will be more autonomous. Though I have done almost all of my traveling with them I am very much looking forward to a month abroad relying on what they have taught me.

I want to go on this trip to broaden my world outlook and to compare my experiences that I have had in places like Europe, Asia, and South America. I am also looking forward to trying new foods and meeting new people.


Lauren Mackey

I am about to enter my senior year at McClatchy High School. I spend most of my time hanging out with friends and family, eating to my heart’s content, and working diligently on my golf game. Currently, I really don’t know what I want to do with my life or where I will be headed after high school. The one thing I do know is that I love learning about new cultures and people and I hope to get a glimpse of the different worldviews that people hold while in Ghana. I hope that my experiences in Ghana will help me to broaden my horizons and to learn a little more about myself.

I have lived in Sacramento all of my life and, while I have had a fair amount of travel opportunities, the chance to travel to Ghana is one unlike any other. I do not know exactly what to expect from this trip however I do hope to learn more about the African culture and the world overall. I am excited to interact with people and environments that are significantly different from my everyday life in Sacramento.


Kelsey Macrae

A new adult and a great lover of old films, art, dancing crazily with my friends, and a voracious reader, among other things, I am excited to begin this next chapter of my life. This fall I will be attending the University of California at Davis, and while I have an undeclared major, I’m hoping for it to have some sort of focus on peoples and cultures.

Ever since I was little I have had a fascination with new people and different places, mainly because I have always been surrounded by trinkets from different cultures due to my mother’s obsession with antiques. But when I was in the third grade, two very important things happened to me: my teacher told us about her recent trip to Africa and I saw my first Indian Jones movie. My teacher showed me the pictures from her safari and the places and people she encountered, but the only thing that stuck in my memory was a picture of the sun setting behind a pair of giraffes. Since then I have always had this romantic fascination with Africa and wanted to see it for myself. Also in the third grade my mother introduced me to the Indian Jones films. After that I wanted to be just like Harrison Ford. It wasn’t his masterful control of the whip or the action or the love stories that kept me captivated, but that he got to visit places some people couldn’t point out on a map, and he used his immense knowledge of history and understanding of cultures to save the world. I wanted that knowledge, and I still do. It has followed me throughout high school where, when I learned about different cultures, I began to take them to heart. For example, when we were learning about the conflict between the Nigerian people and the oil conglomerates, I would actually leave class angry, and when we studied apartheid in South Africa, I cried at how the African people were dehumanized and unjustly treated. I can’t really explain why exactly I want to visit Ghana and Africa; it’s just that there is a feeling inside me telling me that I have to experience this place.

I want to expand my knowledge of Ghana, and to experience the culture, the people, the music, the scenery, the food, the humidity. I want to experience Ghana. After this trip, Ghana will no longer be another strip of land in a far off place, it’s not going to be just a stamp on my passport, but a wake up call to what and who else exists in the world.


Mikaela Nishita

Hey, I’m Mikaela Nishita. In the fall, I will be starting my junior year at C.K.McClatchy High School. I love hanging out with my friends and just having a good old time. I’m always on the go and I have a huge dimple in my left cheek. If you can make me laugh, you’ll be my best friend. I love to dance and I occasionally break out some crazy moves. Some people may think that I’m strange but I just think I’m unique. One of my passions is playing soccer. The adrenaline I get when playing soccer is thrilling and it acts as an escape from reality. I’m not photogenic at all, so don’t mind the ugly picture to the left.

When I heard about the opportunity to embark to Ghana, Africa, I jumped on it right away. This year I learned about many different cultures abroad from the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and of course Africa. Learning about these cultures made me want to travel there. I’m looking forward to broadening my horizons and getting hands on experience of what life really is like in Ghana. Reading about history is one thing, but actually getting to be a part of history is another.

The month that I will be in Ghana, I hope to gain knowledge about the world and have a life changing experience. I want to also leave the people in Africa with a contribution of who I am. I hope to gain life-long memories and I know that this trip will be with me for the rest of my life. I want to better the lives of the people living in Ghana and in some way have an impact on their lives because I definitely know they will have one on mine.


Patrick A. Redford

I am Patrick A. Redford and I will be a junior next year at C.K. McClatchy High School. I have lived in Sacramento all my life and I have travelled to many places, both in the U.S.A and abroad. I follow many noble pursuits, including running, backpacking, cycling and swimming. I live with my brother and parents.

I chose to go to Ghana for the pure thrill of adventure. I have never travelled to Africa before and I believe it will be quite an experience. I’m really looking forward to exposure to an unknown place because it will be interesting and enjoyable. Everything I do will be completely unique for me and I cannot wait to embark.

By going to Ghana, I hope to gain personal insight into the West African culture and way of life. I am interested in seeing firsthand how other people live all around the world, and this trip will be vital to expanding my world view. I also want to go to have an excellent journey. All in all, I hope to have a fun and educational adventure into Ghana.


Naomi Stern

am an upcoming senior at C.K. McClatchy High School. I am interested in history and literature. My favorite school activity is the marching band. I am currently the flute and piccolo section leader. I have been playing the flute since the 3rd grade, so music is a very important aspect of my life. When I graduate high school I hope to go to a University of California and continue my education. I hope to travel to all the continents of the earth.

I decided to go on this trip because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Africa is such a diverse and vibrant continent that it is not enough to learn about it in textbooks or even watching videos of it. This trip is my chance to experience this thrilling culture first hand. I am excited to meet people and exchange ideas about modern day issues and societies.

On this trip I hope to gain knowledge about the issues that face Africa and especially Ghana in the present and future. I want to visit the historic sites of Ghana and try the local cuisine. I believe my experiences on this trip will alter my perspective of the world around me and discover new things about myself along the way.


Ashley Stockwell

My name is Ashley Stockwell and there is more to me than that. Much of my time is spent listening to music and watching my boyfriend draw. My favorite things include music, food, and Julie Andrews. Growing up I was taught to be polite and open to the beliefs of others. As I grew older I became more interested in studying the lives of my predecessors. My parents encouraged me to explore the world at my own pace, but to not let opportunities pass me; this trip is one of those opportunities. Going to Ghana means a chance to see a part of the world that until now was just a bunch of multi-colored shapes on a map. My goal on Earth is to help as many people as I can with the time that I’ve been given. While in Ghana, I hope to gain insight into the everyday lives of my fellow human beings. This trip will be an eye-opener and will help me discover more about myself.


Lindsay Taylor

Biography still to come.










Ryan Thalken

My name is Ryan Thalken and this fall I will be a junior at C.K. McClatchy High School. I was born In Monterey California on February 16th, 1992 to Blayne and Patrick Thalken. Several months after my birth my father was offered a job with the state in Sacramento. Moving the family to California’s capital city, we have been here ever since.

I enjoy playing music, filming short movies, reading, and relaxing at five star garden in Land Park. Most recently I have been into riding my Raleigh racing bike, and getting ready to go to Ghana. I am often found reading scientific novels such as Spencer Well’s “The Journey of Man. ” I dislike people who regularly jump to conclusions, and those who lack an open mindset.

Living in California my entire life, I have only been out of the country to visit relatives in Vancouver, Canada. Being that the average North American life is the only existence I have ever been in contact with, I have always been captivated by the customs of other groups of people. I love that throughout history, in order to answer the problems of survival, we as humans have created unique solutions otherwise known as culture. Some view culture as a division between people, yet I ask, why not look at it as an amazing product of human ingenuity that may bring us closer together.

I am drawn to several ideas embodied by this year’s trip to Ghana. My first interest is to visit a third world country, bringing funds to donate and an open mind to fill. Secondly I am interested in meeting the people of Ghana, developing relationships, and bringing back to the United States an understanding of who an average Ghanaian is to share with my peers. Lastly, I just want to get away from home, giving my family a chance to be separated from me longer than they ever have.

Being out of the country for such a long amount of time, I hope to separate myself from an American point of view, completely immersing myself in the Ghanaian culture. While traveling through Ghana I am determined to gain as much knowledge about the people and places as possible. With this knowledge I hope to enlighten my peers in Sacramento when I return. This is the chance of a lifetime, and so I go into this trip knowing it will be a turning point in my, so far, short life.


Lucy Toyama

My name is Lucy Toyama. I have just finished my junior year in high school and will begin my senior year at C.K.McClatchy. Here at home, in Sacramento, I enjoy to spend time with my wonderful friends, hang out around lovely Land Park and cherish every moment of summer.

I anxiously await my trip to Ghana, Africa this summer and hope that it is everything that I am imagining it to be. I want to fully immerse myself in a culture very far from my own and reaffirm my belief that even though we may come from a very different country and lifestyle, in a whole we are all human beings with common interests and emotions. It is my every desire to experience the joy of cultural exchange all the while seeing the beauty of Africa, our motherland.

On the trip I am confident that I will gain life long memories and friends as well as experiences that will shape and mold who I will be in the future and what I will contribute to society. I hope to discover new aspects of my personality that will inspire and promote peace and understanding in a world that appears deficient of such basic and essential values.


Terren Wing

I am 16 years old and will be a senior next year at C.K. McClatchy High School. Some of my favorite things are taco trucks, Nutella, summer and my dog. Often I spend too much time watching Jon and Kate plus Eight and Gilmore Girls; I also play piano and basketball. I love my friends and family, however crazy they may be. In the future, I hope to have my own travel show, speak a myriad of languages and go to school in New York City.

This trip will be my first time leaving North America. I want to go to Ghana to experience something entirely new and life-changing. I want to meet people and learn about their cultures in order to better understand each of our roles as citizens of the world. I want to return home with a new perspective on life and my place in the global community, as well as countless photos and memories. I hope that through this program I will discover more about myself by interacting with other people, and gain important knowledge that will assist me in the rest of my life.


Robert Zuniga

My name is Robert Zuniga and I will be entering my junior year at C.K. McClatchy High School this fall. On my free time I enjoy swimming, spending time with my family, and just living life to the fullest.

I would very much like to travel the world and could see no other time in my life when I might have the opportunity to travel to Africa, so I felt very fortunate when the opportunity presented itself. I very much enjoy meeting new people and being exposed to new cultures, particularly ones I know little about, and by visiting Nigeria and Ghana I am provided with both of these experiences. I look forward to coming back from the trip with a better worldview, and many many many pictures.


  Faculty Guides

The principal task of the faculty guides is to ensure smooth adherence to the itinerary whilst maintaining an environment conducive to successful implementation of the goals and objectives of the program.

Jeremy Predko

As a co-chaperone I am excited about making this trip a wonderful experience for the students. I was lucky enough to experience Africa when I was a teenager and it made me realize how wonderful the people are, how exciting the culture is, and how misunderstood the continent is in our own country. My experience was a life changing event and I understand how important it is for American students to establish their world view with actual experience; having enjoyed a trip to Ghana and Nigeria with my own son, I recognize the impact it has had in our lives as well as other students who have been part of our group for the previous two years.


Nate Starace

Looking forward to my fifth year teaching in the Social Science department at C.K. McClatchy High School, I feel extremely lucky to be part of such a wonderful program and trip. This will be my third summer traveling to Ghana with students. I am looking forward to experiencing Ghana for an entire month this year. This past year in the classroom was extremely fulfilling and I am eager to continue the learning experience with an amazing group of students that are anxious to broaden their horizons and willing to examine their own cultural norms.

My goals of the trip are to offer leadership and support. In doing so, I hope for the students and myself to return to Sacramento enlightened and eager for the next trip back across the Atlantic. Since this will be my third year, I am cannot wait to discover new locations and peoples and add those encounters to a wonderful collection of memories of West Africa.