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Rockford Squire Newspaper, Rockford, MI (2025)

05/29/2025

Check out our 5-29-25 edition here!

05/07/2025

Check out our 05/08/2025 edition here!

04/22/2025

Rockford Rotary's Interact Club's trip to El Salvador Day 6!

Hello everyone! This week is going so fast and it's hard to believe we only have 2 days left down hear before we have to head home. Today we started out by splitting the into two groups. One group took all of our suitcase donations to a chosen needy community near Talnique (we also share some donations with the hotel staff and our bus drivers). The other group headed off to tackle a hike to the top of the Izalco Volcano. This volcano is known as the 2nd toughest volcano hike in El Salvador. I've also included a picture of a very unique beetle I found on top of the volcano. Both groups had amazing experiences. After we all returned to the hotel we got cleaned up and took some time to head to the town center of San Salvador for an evening walk. The El Salvadorians have built a huge new library, we saw National Museum, the Cathedral, some shops, and of course most stopped at McDonalds or for ice cream.
- Jason

And from the kids :)

Michael Beerens- Rockford High School

I woke up and had another breakfast at the Alamo. Despite many long days I still feel well rested an excited for the day to come every morning. After eating, I boarded onto a van and rode to hike up a volcano. The hike started off with a descent down a thousand or so stairs which was then followed by the very warm trek up the side of the volcano. After about 2 hours I finally reached the top just as clouds began to roll in. I ate lunch on top of the volcano surrounded by clouds and steam emanating from various cracks in the rocks, it felt like I was on another planet. Just as I began to walk down the side it began to rain. A small drizzle turned into a steady stream which turned into a torrential downfall. Two and half hours, a broken shoe, and several mudslides later, I finally completed the walk. It was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever taken. After arriving back at the Alamo, I soon headed back off to downtown San Salvador to do some sightseeing. I saw their new library and hit up the local McDonalds. I'm back at the Alamo now about to get some pizza and spend the night talking to the various new friends I have made. These past few days have genuinely been some of the best of my life. I've made so many new friends, seen so many amazing sights, and gotten to help so many amazing people. I can't wait for what the last few days have in store!

Stella Haviland, Forest Hills Northern High School
Hey everyone!! We were able to wake up a bit late today and I choose to do Donation Day where we brought all the donations to this small community outside of San Salvador. We set all the suitcases all in a row under these orange tents and all the locals lined up and we, the volunteers, would go up to each member and help them out as needed. I mainly held bags, counted items, searched though the clothes, etc. I used a crazy amount of Spanish to communicate. The locals for the most part were patient and everything was taken. My friends were able to take pictures and hold these adorable babies. We all had to shove the dogs away from the site. Afterwards, we went to a small gas station to get a couple of cold drinks (I got a Coke-Cola that's a bit different from the US, just less sweet). The Donation Day group got back a bit early so Sydney, Lylah and I all laid out in the sun and tanned, sadly getting burned in the process. The second part of the day we went Downtown San Salvador and saw this beautiful library open 24 hours a day. Filled with books, technology, play stations, etc. It was stunning with modern architecture and glass structures. I was a bit sad we couldn't go into the cathedral across the street but I took lots of pictures. Finally I was able to grab a little bit of Chai tea and made me really homesick for a quick second. We're all back at the Alamo playing games and I can't believe I have only a couple more days with these amazing people. It truly has been a life-changing experience!

Braylon Dull, Houghton Lake High School,
Hi Mom, Dad, and Jax! Today was something that I don't feel like I will ever experience again, so I wanna put it into words as a way of safekeeping it for future memories. I woke up later than usual, at around 7:30 and skipped breakfast as I didn't feel too well. I also had nerves for what was happening today, that being the volcano hike. There were about 20 of us that went on the hike, and it was an experience to remember. Upon arriving at the sight, we were greeted with a 2,000 stair dive into the outside bottom of the volcano. Nothing really notable happened here besides Collin Hamp yapping about absolute nonsense the entire time. Upon starting the ascension to the peak of the volcano it became really apparent this would be a tall task not only physically, but also mentally as Collin still was talking about God knows at this point. 2 hours and a bunch of water breaks later we were at the top of the volcano. The view I saw is something that I can only describe as divine. We were quite literally in a cloud, and it felt like I was in heaven. The descent was crazy as it had just started pouring rain. Me and my roommate Michael slip and slided our way down the hillside, getting to the bottom in like a half hour. By the time we even got to the steps to get back up, I was already drenched. Miraculously, after another 2,000 steps straight up, my phone was fine. Later that day me, along with my friends Collin, Kendall, Toby, and others went to an El Salvadorian McDonalds and feasted. Oh yeah we also went to some national library so that was tuff. Shoutout Kate by the way for almost breaking multiple falls on that volcano! Tell Jax I love him please. Bye bye. (This is Collin, Braylon is overreacting)

Kate Wittung, Grand Rapids Christian High School
Hey Mom! You saw my text right. I climbed a 6,500 foot volcano and hiked up about 2,000 stairs in one day. I was very tiring but I still did the 2nd hardest hike in El Salvador. Not only that but I ate lunch on the edge of the volcano at the top and picked up a few rocks to bring home. On our decent it started to very lightly rain and it felt really good after all the hard work climbing. However, on the way down the steep volcano it got very slippery and I faced a few slides down the side but I didn't die so we're good. Once I got to the bottom of the mountain I still faced the task of climbing about 2,000 steps. At this point it was pouring rain and I was soaked to the bone and my shoes were full of water. However, even though the stairs took forever and there was a mudslide threatening to take me back down the stairs I really enjoyed getting caught in the rain in the forest. It really made me feel like I was in a real life rainforest. During this 5 hour hike I experienced many different kinds of weather. First, sunny and a little humid but not super hot. Second, cloudy/foggy. Third, rainy, like crazy. However, this for me was a crazy experience because I was never a big hiker but this changed everything. I can't believe I actually did it and now I want to do so many more hikes around the world. I love you Mom! See you soon!

04/21/2025

Rockford Rotary's Interact Club's trip to El Salvador Day 5!

Hello again from El Salvador. We had a very good and productive day today, but wow was it hot and sunny. All of the walls are now up on all 6 houses and they are all about 75% mortared. Everyone pushed through the sun and heat to make great progress. While we build the houses we continue to make bonds with the families that are moving into their new homes. Since it is Saturday, even the fathers were home because they were not working. At the hotel tonight, there is a quincinera going on and entertaining us with music. Many in our group took this as a chance to dress up to try to get involved in the party. It worked because they are currently making some new El Salvadorian friends. Along with all of these great things that happened today, I was frequently reminded of Doug Mealey and wanted to take a chance to thank him for all he does to help set this trip up for us and the strong connections he has made down here that make it possible. As you can see in one of the attached pictures they even named one of their local stores after him, "Mealey Tienda". :) We also had his favorite dinner prepared for us at the hotel; spaghetti. Thanks Doug for starting this trip and helping us continue change the lives of our El Salvadorian friends.
- Jason

Ma'Lani Overstreet, Orchard View High School
Today we went back to the worksite to continue our work on the houses. I went down to my house and seen my friend Melena Isamar. She was mixing mortar and explaining how to apply it. We sprayed the water in between the cracks between the blocks. Then we patted Mortar into the cracks. Isamar introduced us to her little cousin, Belinde. She sat by me the entire time we worked. She asked to be friends and I said yes. Now I made two new friends in a different country, Isamar and Belinde.

Ellie Chen, Novi High School
Hi everyone! This trip has been amazing so far. I've met a lot of nice and friendly people! I can't believe we are already more than halfway through this trip. Today we continued working on building our houses. Some groups were finishing up putting the placas in and some were starting with filling in the cracks of the house with concrete and sand mixed together. Even though it was a complicated and messy process, it was a unique experience and I enjoyed doing it. My group has been excellent with communicating with each other and splitting up the work. Sometimes we have challenges and difficulties, but we always work around them. The two chaperones, Eliana and Andrew (Vinny) are super helpful and nice! I love how they motivate us by putting on music while we work :)
I'm glad I chose to come on this trip. At first I was a little bit hesitant to come since it was going to be my first time traveling without my parents to a country I've never been to. But it really is a once in a lifetime experience and I would definitely recommend it to other people. Not only will you be able to build houses for people, but you also get to make new friends and visit beautiful sites. I would love to come on this trip again in the future!

Tess Zuniga, Allendale High School
The past workdays have been with placing the placas and building up the walls, but today we moved on due to the locals finishing the construction of the walls while we were at La Puerta del Diablo, the market, and the beach resort yesterday and took a day off. Today we began the process of mortaring, which is filling the cracks created between the placas and the poles and each of the placas. Our group was split between the inside of the house and the outside, with the majority working on the inside along with a man from the local community who has been helping my group on our house along the way. The batches of mortar are created and mixed by the locals, its cement mix with water that we each gather in small buckets and for each placement we use a water bottle that was drank and refilled with undrinkable water. Each crack was filled with this mix after being watered down so the mixture could stick to the placas without falling to the floor below. After a good amount is brought to fill in the crevice's, we use a scraper to create a more uniform line between the placas and the placas with the posts, and after it is all dry we use a hard rock to scrape off all of the excess mortar mix. Overall, my group nearly completed all of the mortar on the house, with only part of the outside left wall (right side if looking at front of house) and the outside of the back wall, which will either be completed by the local community who has been taking their own time to help, or by us on Monday when we return to Talnique.

Ava LaMar, Greenville High School
Hello everyone! Jason in fact did tell me I was not allowed to write another email but I told him that it was ok and the people ( all who receive this email) want to hear from me once again. Today was a great day, one of my favorite so far actually. I sprained my wrist the night before we left for this trip so I was not able to be much of a help for majority of the building process. When we got to the work sight today we received a nice surprise that the locals had finished the rest of the bricks while we were enjoying the beach yesterday. I was excited to be able to actually do something that would not restrict my wrist. My group was able to finish the entire inside of our house and about half of the outside. Once it was time for lunch instead of eating I played soccer with four little boys. They were so happy to have someone to play with and wanted me to ask my friends to join. I loved playing it was so much more meaningful to me than just playing soccer. Soccer is a sport that I love and makes me feel an intense connection for all of the people that I engage with while playing. So being able to touch others especially though the sport is so special to me. Adios chicos! Maybe you will hear from again if i can convince Jason!

04/14/2025

Check out our 4-10-2025 edition!

04/14/2025

Rockford Rotary's Interact Club's trip to El Salvador Day 4!

Hello everyone! It's hard to believe we are wrapping up day 4 already. Since we all worked so hard the last two days on the houses, we were ready for a day of culture time. We always start our day with a great breakfast at the Hotel Alamo and then were off to a national park called La Puerta de Diablo. It has beautiful views and gives us a chance to climb a pretty cool rock cliff. From there we needed to be able to load up on El Salvador swag, so we went to the Mercado Nacional de Artesanias which is full of many craft vendors. From there we went to the El Zonte beach area and had a wonderful lunch at the beach resort of Palo Verde and had access to their infinity pool and black sand beach. There is a huge surfing competition in El Salvador right now so there were many surfers to entertain us while we were enjoying the beach. The waves were huge and everyone stayed safe and had a great time in the water. As I get ready to send this, I have trouble focusing because of all of the games, chatter, and laughter going on around me. We even have some Rotaract guests that have joined us tonight at the hotel to play games. It was a great day, but it will feel good to be back to work on the houses tomorrow!
Here's how some students saw things and a couple of pictures. :)
- Jason

Hello, my name is Gabrielle Nelson and I am a junior at Coopersville High school. Today we woke up to some delicious breakfast at the Alamo and prepared for a cultural day. First, we witnessed some breathtaking views at the national park called "Devil's Door". Then, we drove to shop at the National Market for some local souvenirs. Ernesto our bus driver has gotten us through the trenches. I bought a ceramic bowl and bracelets and a fan. We spent the rest of our evening at the Palo Verde hotel and resort which is a black sand beach on the Pacific Ocean. Me and my friends enjoyed lemonades and diving under waves. A local named Ernesto tried teaching Alaina, Calleigh and I to surf it was FUEGOOO. We all got some sun today. Then we came back to our Alamo for a fish and salad dinner. We just finished organizing the donations for Sunday and will probably play some cards now. I love practicing my Spanish, shoutout to my AP Spanish teacher, Mrs.Matzen. Hasta mañana!!!

Lillian McCallum, Allendale
Today we got up at the usual time like 6:30-7ish and then ate at 7 and I had cereal, and then we got ready and packed our bags for the rest of the day. Once we all loaded on the bus and headed to the devils door and we explored/climbed up some of the mountains and got to look over the city. After that we went to the marketplace and I got a surprise for my mom and dad. Then after that we went to the hotel Palo Verde and I swam in the oceans and played monkey in the middle for only a bit then played uno. I also learned how to play spicy uno the other day. I also packed and moved clothes/suitcases , now I'm at the hotel at a table writing this.

Kona Ly, West Ottawa High School
Mom I know you checked my location and saw I was at a hospital. I broke my nose. No I am joking we went to a market next to a hospital where we bought some good souvenirs. Then we went to a mountain or a volcano or something not sure what it actually was but it was called the devils door. it had some good views and I spent way too much money on a souvenir that I know my mom will hate. Then we went to the beach. The sand was black. I ate some fish. Adios.

Alaina Lamb, Spring Lake
Today was a good day it was hot and I got a GOOD tan, to start of the day we went to Devils Door, which is a big mountain we climbed up to the top of. From there we went to a bunch of shops were we got some goods. Then the best part of the day was the beach we went to even though to black sand got everywhere and in everything, it was still fun and most of us got a good sun kissed, we also saw bunch of surfers we were lucky to find this one cutie boy who's name is Ernesto he lived right of the beach and taught us some tricks on his surf board. My tanlines are MUY BUENO better then the start of the trip. Anyways I am excited to get back to work tomorrow and I bet the locals are too! Buenas Noches! Emoji

04/09/2025

Rockford Rotary's Interact Club's trip to El Salvador Day 3!

Hello everyone,
I think we all woke up this morning a bit sore from our full day of working on the houses yesterday, but that didn't stop us from heading back to Talnique to try to finish getting the walls up on our 6 houses. It is so fulfilling to have the families moving into the houses working right beside us. We only worked until lunch time and ended up very close to having all of the walls up in the houses. We stopped working after half a day because we were invited to a Rotarian from the San Salvador Noroeste Rotary Club's house where they treated us to wood fired pizzas that were delicious. The students got to dance, play games and create new bonds with new El Salvador friends. We are so thankful for the Rotarians in the Noroeste club that help us set up many of the details of our trip. We could not be so successful without their help. Since the Rotarian's house was on the side of the largest volcano in San Salvador, we took a trip to the top where there is a national park (El Boqueron) to be able to see what it looked like inside. What a great day! Enough from me, here are thoughts from some students.
- Jason

Jamina Chervenak, Muskegon High School
Today was a very long but fun day. First we started off by waking up at 7 am for breakfast then we left around 7:45 to go finish putting the plackas down on some of the houses, my house has two more walls to finish and we will be finished and ready to put mortar on the walls. Then we left around 11:45 to go back to the hotel and get cleaned up for some after hard work fun. First we went on a hike to go see an old volcano, which the view was really nice and pretty, it was a good hike as well. Then we were able to go look at some shops that we were able to buy some souvenirs for friends and families as well as ourselves. Then after that we went to a Rotarians house for some nice dinner and desserts. We had a good time at the house we did lots of dancing and we had lots of conversations and laughter. As well as a lot of fun with new friends. This trip has been a really good experience for me as i have never been on a trip like this but coming here and meeting all kinds of new people and seeing the perspective here has made me feel really grateful that i did come on this trip. I can't wait to see what the other days bring but I know for sure that I would definitely come back. This is a really good experience for your kids to be able to come do, I would definitely send my kids on a trip like this, As much as I say I need my mom I would definitely do this trip over and over.

Sydney Hitchcock, Allendale High School
Today was a super tiring, yet fun day. We started off with breakfast, then headed to the work site for a shortened day there. It was super exciting to see how far everyone had come in the separate groups, and even more touching to see the families helping with such excitement about their new houses. My group was the first group to finish, so we headed over to another group to help them out. I have been practicing my Spanish with the family that will live in the house my group built. There was a little girl the last few days that I have been chatting with and she was so sweet and excited about her house, which was so touching to see. After the worksite we loaded onto the bus and ate a yummy lunch as we headed back to the Alamo to freshen up before heading to see the volcano. The volcano was so beautiful and us girls forced some of the boys to take pictures, which is always fun. There was also some little shops around that some people bought some things from. We then got back on the bus and headed to a house of a Rotarian on the side of the volcano. Dinner was my favorite part of the day because Kendall and I started dancing to some music and soon enough, almost everyone was up and dancing with us too, even the Rotarians busted out some moves! One Rotarian woman, Dina, came up to me, took my hands and showed me how to do this one dance move which was super cool, and I got to practice a little Spanish with her. A small group of us played spicy uno, and definitely got rowdy. Collin and Braylon yelled quite a lot at us girls that were learning but it was all so fun and we caught on eventually, even beating them! Now we are all gathered around a table playing more spicy uno, getting excited for another beautiful day tomorrow!

Calleigh Fogel, Spring Lake High School
Where do I even start. This is my second year on the trip and it has been just as fun as the first time. This morning we had breakfast a little earlier so we could get to the worksite and finish sooner to go and do other things. Our group was able to finish our house but it came with some challenges along the way. It was hard to get the cement bricks in between the poles because it was too tight, so one of our helpers had to get on the top and jump on it so it would go down. May I mind you we were pretty high off the ground. After we finished our house everyone went to the bus so we could get back to the hotel and shower. We had to clean up super fast and then go get on the bus to climb a volcano. The view was beautiful, and I hadn't seen anything like it before. On our way back down there were some shops where I bought a matching bracelet with my friend Alaina and also a beach bag. Straight from there we went to a house of an El Salvador Rotary member. They made pizza which I was so hungry I went back up three times. I tried dessert which I was personally not a fan off, but I was able to roast some marshmallows. The people I was able to meet at the house were so kind and fun. I love being able to meet new people especially from another country that care about making a difference. They were all a blast, and we danced, played games and had a great time. I am so thankful for this opportunity that I was given being able to come down to El Salvador. It is so rewarding not just doing the good deed but seeing the impact it makes and being able to see how fortunate we really are. I also, am grateful for all the amazing friends I have been able to make on this trip. I LOVE EL SALVADOR!!

Nithwin Vejandla, Novi High School
Today was a pretty fun day, we started the day off by going to the worksite first. My group did struggle at certain times but we ended up working together and getting the job done. We went back to the hotel to get ready to visit the volcano. The views were amazing and I ended up taking many pictures. I also got some cool souvenirs at the shops nearby. We also went to a Rotarian member's house, the food was amazing and I had a great time.

Check back in Monday at 5pm for Day 4!

04/08/2025

Rockford Rotary Interact club, Day 2 in El Salvador.

After a good night's sleep we all got up and had a wonderful breakfast of beans, scrambled eggs with ham, fruit, yogurt, and cereal. Then we headed off to Talnique for our first full work day. The one hour and fifteen minute bus trip from the Alamo hotel to Talnique is comprised of some city driving and then a beautiful trip up into the mountains. We arrived in Talnique, broke up into our work groups and got to it. We were greeted by many smiling faces and "holas" from the happy people of Talnique as well as the Mayor who came to thank us for our work we do in their community. I was just sent this Facebook video that was made today during our time in Talnique today. Our worksite was very prepared for us this year thanks to the Rotarians down here that help us get everything ready for our visit. It was 90 degrees and sunny, so many water breaks were needed. After a full day on the worksite, we returned to the Alamo hotel to clean up and relax around and in the pool and play many games. We also sorted through all of the donations that will be given away on Sunday. Thank you to everyone that helped us fill the extra suitcases. We finished off dinner with a few ice cream cakes because it is one of our chaperone's, Aylene, birthday today. The students and adults are creating some great bonds that will last a lifetime and as you can see in a picture even doing some yoga to finish off the night. I'm sure after our long day's work, people will wake up a bit sore, but we have another great day planned tomorrow. I am sooooo proud of this group! Stay tuned :)
- Jason

Here are some thoughts from some students:

Lylah Cooper, Rockford Highschool
Hi everyone! I just wanted to share a cool experience that happened today. We started building the houses today, and many of the El Salvador families helped us to build their houses. The family who's house I was building consisted of a mother, her two kids, a baby, and a Grandma. The mother and two kids did much of the work and were a huge help. After the first wall was built of our house, Guadalupe, the mother, looked at me with tears on her eyes. She put her hand on her heart and said "Mi casa". This moment was so moving and I'm sure many of the other students had a similar experience. Although I don't know any Spanish, we were still able to communicate during the breaks and get to know and bond with the families. We made good progress with the houses despite a couple setbacks. I can't wait to see what the rest of the trip has in store!

Kendall Scholtens, Rockford High School
Hi everyone! Today I had a really fulfilling first full day in El Salvador! We started the day off with breakfast, followed by an hour bus ride into the city of Talnique. My friends and I really enjoyed the bus ride as we were able to see gorgeous mountains combined with a personal look into the diverse culture El Salvador has. At the site my team and I worked hard together and made sufficient progress on our house! We were able to work and meet multiple El Salvadorians and it was exciting to meet the family whose house my group and I are building for. Although a cement placa unfortunately fell on my finger when I was helping catch it, Aylene was really helpful and helped me get some ice, so I was ready to get back to work! Once we arrived back at the hotel my friends and I were overjoyed to have gotten to eat ice cream all together and I had a great time swimming with all the new friends I have made. Lots of us have made sure to stay stretched so we are ready for another work day by doing yoga on the lawn. With this, I am so excited for the duration of the trip!

Collin Hamp, Houghton Lake Highschool
Hello everyone! The first day in El Salvador was amazing. I would definitely recommend more sunscreen; I am sorry mom. When Jason said more sunscreen. He really means more sunscreen. It was a very anxious start to the day. I was very nervous because this is my first time on the trip. The people here made all of the nerves go away. The people that are on this trip are really amazing. We built our house. Our scaffolding was very different than everyone else's and I wish we would've known we could have metal instead of warped wood to stand on. I definitely would make my Spanish teacher proud. I spoke Spanish to the people and it is really heartwarming to see how happy they are to have us here. Calleigh gave me the most obnoxious bandage job the world has ever seen. I lost faith in the bandaids until Arlene came in and assisted me. Thanks Arlene. Braylon Dull decided to get Chinese food that personally made me rethink what bad food is. It did not look eatable. I am very concerned for Braylon. I also am about to do yoga in about 5 minutes. The coolest thing about this trip is the different perspective I have on the world. It really has changed my life and we still have lots of experiences left. Lylah also wanted me to put that she found 5 bucks in the donation pile. Also while I was was writing this everyone wouldn't leave me alone, but I love it here.

Takyla Ewald, Hodgson Vo-Tech (Newark,Delaware)
The first day of work was a little hot, sweaty, and tiring. The bus ride was long but had nice views and nice wind. When we got there we got to say hi to all the locals and look around Talnique, The only bad part about today had to be the walk down the hill to the worksite...It was awkward and hot but we made it and were ready to get to work. We had some nice people give speeches and then we dispersed into our house groups. My house group was working really well together, we had systems and we had nice communication so things went very smooth. We got done a lot of walls in just two hours and even had a lot of the locals also the nice woman who's house we were building helping. After a couple hours of hard work we got to leave a little bit earlier than how we did last year. We walked up the hill and either bought drinks or ice cream from the local shops. The bus ride back felt a little longer than going up so i had took a nap. Once we got back to the Alamo we showered, got in the pool, and ate dinner together. After dinner we celebrated some birthdays and had cake and then i decided to help with donations. So far this is my third time coming and its still a really good experience and i know ill have a even better time within more days and more times i come on the trip!

aylene Wozmak Chaperone New Hampshire

Hello parents,
I am one of 5 nurses on this trip and I have been here, I believe this is my 19th year. I am most impressed with the kindness and compassion of the students this year. They are hard working, and respectful. Today was close to 94 degrees and they drank lots of water and have learned this is real stuff here. I am so proud to work aside each of them.
Today is my birthday, 73 years, and your kids sang to me and ate lots of cake! We are family while we are here.

Rockford Squire Newspaper

05/29/2025

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