HutchCC students can take a bite out of the Big Apple

By Laci Sutton
Managing Editor-Content

College students pay an average of $9,000 a year to live in a concrete box, better known as a dorm room. Thankfully that price is closer to around $3,700 at Hutchinson Community College.

HutchCC students, faculty, and community members have the opportunity to take a trip to the Big Apple and City of Brotherly Love for even less than that.

Dan Naccarato, better known around campus as “Coach Nac”, is a business instructor at HutchCC and is co-host for the Birthplace of America tour.

“HutchCC has hosted educational tours for many years in past decades, but when Professor Trudy Zimmerman retired, no one volunteered to lead any tours for six or seven years,” Coach Nac said. “Denny Stoecklein and I decided to start doing them again in 2018. We have led HutchCC students to Barcelona, Washington D.C, Rome, Florence, and Pisa.”

The Birthplace of America tour will take travelers to Philadelphia and New York City, and is scheduled for June 12-16, 2024.

The total cost for the trip can vary, depending on how soon individuals sign up and the options selected at the time of enrollment. EF College Study Tours, the travel partner for this adventure, is offering an early enrollment discount of $300 for anyone that enrolls before the end of September. That brings the cost of the trip to $3,469, paid for in monthly installments. 

This price includes the daily itinerary, flights, hotels, admission to attractions, travel insurance, a charter bus from Philadelphia to New York City, a full-time tour director, local guides, and some meals.

Attractions include The Liberty Bell, The “Rocky” steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Battleship New Jersey, Chinatown, Times Square, 9/11 Memorial, Broadway (including a Broadway show), and so much more.

Stoecklein and Coach Nac conquered a tour to Italy in May 2022 with 47 travelers. This tour has seats for 38 travelers, with only 19 spots still available. Coach Nac expects full enrollment within the next month or two.

“We insist that travelers step outside their comfort zones when we host tours,” Nac said. “Everyone who goes with us experiences growth intellectually, personally, and professionally.”

“I was skeptical of going because I’m nervous when it comes to trying new things,” one member from the Italy tour said in a quote provided to Coach Nac. “It was the most spectacular thing I have ever done. I made new friends, had fun, and learned so much.”

HutchCC students also have the opportunity to earn course credit while exploring the city that never sleeps. Interested students can enroll in HU120 Language, Lit, and Culture to earn three credit hours in conjunction with the summer 2024 tour.

Anyone interested in signing up, or anyone with questions about the tour, should contact Denny Stoecklein at stoeckleind@hutchcc.edu or Coach Nac at naccaratod@hutchcc.edu.

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