When I reflect upon past travels, my mind often goes to my first “big” trip. It was my first flight; one that was filled with anticipation and anxiety as I met my fellow Mansfield classmates in Philadelphia to embark on a trip to England during the winter break of 1973. This trip was open to Home Economics majors and was supervised and organized by Professor Janice Kennedy. This was an educational trip that focused on Home Economics topics such as food, fashion, and consumerism. A summer job working as a chambermaid at a local hotel afforded me the opportunity to take this trip and I was anxious to cash in on the fruits of my “summer labor.” I soaked it all in. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament; The Tower of London; Buckingham Palace and of course Piccadilly Circus, a trendy place in the 70’s thanks to the four musicians from Liverpool who started the British pop music craze. I will never forget the silliness and the funny stories that were shared when our bus packed with young college girls broke down and we became stranded for hours waiting to be rescued. Angry at first, but the anger soon dissipated and gave way to jokes, laughter and bonding. The only comment made by the bus driver, “Giggly American Girls!”
My fondest memories, however, are not the Crown Jewels or the fish and chips or shopping at Harrods, but rather the people who made the trip so memorable. For me, the most significant person on this adventure was Professor Janice Kennedy. I can still hear her giggle as we toured a sewage treatment plant, billed as an anti-pollution facility in Bradford, England. I am not sure what the educational significance of this visit was, but it sure made for interesting conversation and many laughs among the girls and Mrs. Kennedy. A few years later when I had a second opportunity to travel with Mrs. Kennedy on a France Food and Fashion tour, Mrs. Kennedy reminded me of our past visit to Bradford. As we sat around wine-barrel tables, with the mingling of oak and wine scents permeating the room, we sipped champagne in the Nicolas family vault, the first group to be afforded this experience. Kennedy stopped by my table and said, “Sure beats the sewage plant!” I laughed; she giggled as we raised our glasses, I certainly agree.
This was a unique opportunity to see the human side of Professor Kennedy. Her smile and her laugh were contagious. We couldn’t help but be enthusiastic as we followed her lead. What a treasure trove of memories and wonderful experiences she provided to us. She opened up our world and gave us a push to explore more. Like many things in life, sometimes we don’t initially realize the impact of experience and exposure until much later in life. Professor Kennedy inspired me and gave me the confidence to take my own students on 10 international trips during my 40-year career as an educator. It was my chance to share my love of travel; to explore with students and to hope that some of my enthusiasm rubbed off on them. I am ever so grateful that I had Mrs. Kennedy as my role model to show me how it’s done. I will forever be indebted to Professor Kennedy for the willingness, as well as her courage— to share the world and herself with 50 young coeds. Looking back, I am not sure if I ever properly thanked Janice for this opportunity, so Professor Kennedy, if you are reading this, a heartfelt thank you.
The Writer
Donna Kokolus Steckel ‘75 taught for 28 years in the Allentown School District where she was named Teacher of the Year in 1991. In 2012, she was named the Parkland School District Distinguished Alumnus.
