Seniors Let Loose on Trip to Villa Roma Resort

A chance to try snow sports was the highlight of the trip for many seniors. *Photo: Andrea Fele*

By JOSEPH WANG, JAYLEN LI, MARVE FORD, and ABRIL FLORES

The Class of 2025 was itching to ditch their schoolwork and head to Villa Roma Resort, located upstate in the Catskill Mountains, for their senior trip. You could practically hear the sigh of relief as students traded their assignments for snowboarding, and school lunch for gourmet dining. From January 21 to 23 (and with a $500 price tag), seniors arrived ready to let the accumulated stress of college applications and AP classes melt away.

The resort offered a variety of activities, the main attractions being skiing and snowboarding, for an extra fee ($90).

“Skiing was memorable for me because it was the first time I did it,” said Leyou Yu. “It was really fun going down very fast. I almost died!”

“Snowboarding was a humbling but fun experience since it was something I had never done before,” said Chenaya Soulouque.

“I never knew how to ski before this trip, but me and my friends learned together, and it was a core memory,” Anna Kleyman said. “I wasn’t expecting the skiing to be fun at all because I had hurt myself before, but I ended up getting the hang of it.”

Joanna Gao said, “Even though I fell a lot, I had an amazing experience and can’t wait to go again.”

There were many other activities away from the snow that the students could dive into, including, bowling, swimming, ping pong, pickleball, volleyball, pool, laser tag, basketball, a bouncy castle, and more.

“The resort had a ton of games and activities that you were able to go to whenever you wanted with whoever you wanted,” Kassidy Shyu said. “It was like making hangout plans on the spot, and it was super easy because everyone was down the hall from one another.”

“We had lots of events where the students chose what they wanted to do and the teacher knew where they needed to be,” said Mr. Jason Keating, a chaperone for the trip. “This made everything run smoothly.”

“This was a year where I watched people come in as freshmen and go all the way through until senior year, so I wanted to attend and be a part of that moment,” he added.

There was also a huge disco party that lasted late into the night. Some students even got to try out the role of DJ.

“I had so much fun during the parties,” said Andrea Fele. “Me and my friends were able to sing and dance to our hearts’ content.”

The proximity and freedom allowed for some spontaneous fun as well.

“One night, a majority of my classmates all grouped together and played hide and seek throughout the resort,” Shyu said.

The resort had two other schools joining the seniors. “We were able to socialize and hang out with new people as well, which I love to do,” Shyu added. “I ended up making some cool friends after the trip!”

The hotel rooms themselves, and the food, got mixed reviews.

“The hotel was old-fashioned and pretty small,” Kleyman said. “Two beds and one cot for five people. There was a big window and one bathroom which was pretty big, and the beds were comfortable.”

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were included for the duration of the trip.

“There were many good food choices but the rest were mid,” said Yu.

After three days and two nights, as the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end.”

“It was a really unique experience. This is the first time I've been somewhere without my family,” said Benjamin Xia. “It feels as if you experience freedom for the first time, being able to do whatever you want without having anyone around you tell you what to do.”

“I got to spend some quality time and make more memories with my friends before we graduate,” said Fele.

As the trip came to a close, the seniors left with newly forged bonds and unforgettable moments. These three days became not only a highlight of their high school experience, but also a big part of the final chapter of their high school journeys.