HUNTERSVILLE – Lake Norman Charter High School teachers Leslie McFarland, Danielle Derwich and Melissa Scire took 10th-grade students on a four-day, three-night field trip to Atlanta, that provided students with a deeper understanding of world issues, especially genocide.

Brandon Mikell, a student who participated in the trip, provided the Herald with the following summary about the trip.

“My name is Brandon Mikell and I am a 10th grader at Lake Norman Charter School. This fall the sophomore class took a trip to Atlanta, Ga. This was an extension to our studies on genocide. This is a sensitive topic to many; however, it is extremely important to learn about genocides, such as the Holocaust museum and the Cambodia Genocide because it can prevent genocide from happening in other countries, such as our own.

“During the trip we visited the Holocaust museum and took a tour, as well as listened to a Holocaust survivor talk about his experiences and travel to the U.S. In addition, on the last day, we listened to a genocide panel on their experiences in various genocides around the world.

“Through this experience I learned that genocide is wrong and can only be stopped when many people get together to stand up against it. I also learned how hard it is for people to adjust to a new setting after leaving for another country.

“Overall, I enjoyed the trip, and feel like this has impacted my life because I am now aware of what is going on in other parts of the world.”