Emily Dewberry
Emily Dewberry is the History Department Chair and teacher at The Donoho School in Anniston, Alabama. Emily has been leading European trips with her students for years, weaving her passion for world history and culture into every journey. She designs itineraries that offer students a blend of fine dining, stunning scenery, historical architecture, significant historical sites, and outdoor adventures. Her students come back happy, enriched, and eager for their next adventure.
Why are you passionate about student travel?
As a child, I was fascinated with the American Civil War. While I may not have completely understood the concepts of federalism or even slavery, I was still intrigued by the war that split our nation. Fortunately, my parents recognized my obsession, and we spent our family vacations at places like Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Montgomery, Warm Springs, and etc. I soaked up all things American history. As I grew older, I had the opportunity to travel to Paris, France. I was sixteen. It was pre September 11. It was my first flight. It was my first big city. We stayed nine days in the City of Light. It was there in a distant country that history became real, an experience. It was not the standard tourist attractions of the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe. It was not the recognizable Notre Dame Cathedral or the chocolate crepe I enjoyed sitting outside of it. It was thirty miles outside of Paris in a palace called Versailles. It was a hall full of mirrors. It was realizing that I was standing in a room where diplomats had signed the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 which had caused eventual upheaval on the European continent known to us as World War II. It was the concept that a palace so beautiful represented absolute power and eventually a group of French peasants and bourgeoisie, inspired by our own American Revolution, would revolt for liberty, fraternity, and equality. Since then, I have had the opportunity to travel to other European countries such as Scotland, England, Spain, and Italy. Each place holds a moment of true understanding of a small moment of time – a connection to the people before us and that will come after us. As a teacher, those experiences open one’s eyes to this beautiful, diverse world. It makes something real, and every day I strive to make history real to my students. It is imperative for students to understand their place in this world. While we may not be surrounded by remnants of empires or Roman roads, we are connected to a wider world. While our world is ever evolving and adapting to new technology, problems that plagued civilizations throughout time seem to occur again. To travel is to experience – to learn – constantly learn about the new.
What is a major highlight from any of your student travel experiences?
There are so many small moments that make up student travel experiences. I have three moments that reflect why I am so passionate about students traveling and experiencing what I call “light bulb” moments. About ten years ago, I was traveling with a group of students in Spain. We were walking across the Roman bridge in Cordoba and I overheard a student say “America is so young. We have nothing that compares to this.” I smiled and kept walking because I knew a small light bulb moment had occurred. The last two moments occurred in just these last two years. Last year, we were visiting Omaha Beach. The students had about thirty minutes to walk around the American cemetery. As time was ending, I was looking for two students who were not normally late for meeting times. I saw them running towards me almost out of breath. One of them said “We made it.” Unbeknownst to me, the student and his friend had researched and found his great uncle’s grave in the cemetery. He had promised his family that he would find it and leave a penny face up for him. I just stood there in silence for a minute. I realized that he may be the only member of his family who had visited his uncle’s grave. He had not only visited the beaches of Normandy, but also paid homage to a family member. It was a moving moment for our whole group. A year later, I would be travelling with students to Italy. Since we live in Alabama, our group is predominantly evangelical Christian; however, we have a few Catholic students who attend our school and traveled this year to Rome. It was an absolute honor to watch students experience Rome during the Jubilee year. As for your question, I cannot truly answer about one major highlight. I have so many individual moments with students. From having coffee outside of the Eiffel Tower or walking around the Roman Colosseum, I strive for all students to have their own individual experience during our travels. It is my greatest joy to watch those students have their “lightbulb” moments.
How do you try to tie your travel experiences back into the classroom?
I teach a variety of subjects which include European history, world history, and American history. As time has passed, the humanities have dwindled in importance on a national scale. Students often need to be “entertained” or ‘engaged”. While science teachers utilize experiments in the classroom, it is hard for history teachers to recreate history. Therefore, I use a variety of lectures, videos, and discussions within my classroom. With that being said, I make history personal for students. I believe that history is a story of people. It is a story of how humans live, survive, sacrifice, and sometimes even resist. If you can get your students to understand that history is not a series of facts, but a story of millions of individuals, who have various different backgrounds, who like us, faced some of the same issues that have plagued humans for centuries – then the learning can begin. So, I use my travel experiences almost daily in the classroom, and they often joke with me when I get a little teary eyed speaking, but they understand it is my experience that drives me to get them to understand their role in the world. When I teach the Civil Rights Movement, I include the March to Selma. I usually give a small lecture and watch a short clip of John Lewis and others marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge where Alabama State troopers were waiting on horses. I take a few questions and then I tell them my story. I had a professor who told me once “If you want to know what it was like that day in March, then walk across the bridge in Selma.” So, I did. It was while walking across it that you realize the bridge has a slight hill, and the marchers did not know what was on the other side until they reached the top middle of the bridge. They saw the dogs, troopers, and clubs, but they kept walking. It is my experiences like that keep me teaching and traveling.
From the Nominator:
What qualities make this nominee, both as an educator and travel leader, deserving of this award?
Emily’s expertise in travel is evident, particularly in her understanding of the importance of communication throughout the planning process. From the initial trip proposal to fine-tuning the itinerary and pre-ordering meals, she maintains consistent contact to ensure every aspect of the trip is carefully considered.
Additionally, Emily is adept at handling unforeseen circumstances. She can quickly adapt to changes while traveling and collaborate with guides to seamlessly integrate unexpected shifts into the itinerary. Her flexibility and understanding consistently earn her praise from drivers and local guides.
Photo courtesy of Emily Dewberry.
