Students spent their summer doing different things: traveling out of state and abroad; attending workshops and seminars for educational purposes; and just relaxing.

“Having the mountains around me 24/7 was the best,” senior Vicki Shon said. “They can’t be compared to the little bumps we have here in Austin.”

Unlike some people who just stayed home, senior Aditi Lavani traveled to Quebec, New York and New Jersey.

“Being around all my baby cousins in New Jersey helped me solidify my passion of working with kids,” Lavani said.

In addition, junior Michelle Koh went to Hawaii for her sweet 16 birthday with her parents.

“My favorite part of the trip was the eating at a really good buffet and drinking coconut drinks,” Koh said.

Newspaper and yearbook staffers attended workshops at Texas A&M and Dallas, respectively, to learn new skills, sharpen the ones they already have and to plan their publications.

“Our workshop instructor, David Knight, gave us a culture shock due to his odd habits and opinions,” senior Sumin Son said. “He mainly focused on writing in a way that grabs the reader’s attention. We had a great time bonding over pop tarts and helping each other with our column writing.”