The Pines Charter junior class of 2026 embarked on a three-day road trip to visit eight of the most well-known colleges in the state of Florida. Working their way through the many cities of the sunshine state, students had the unique opportunity to visit these different institutions and discover which ones they would like to apply to.
Early in the morning, students gathered in the bus loop in anticipation of the trip led by the College Tours company. The designated tour guide, Seth Wirshba, welcomed everyone on board, announcing that the first stop would be at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando. Upon arrival, excited chatter exited the bus as they made their way to the first campus.
A senior and junior at UCF guided the group of 40 students through the campus which was emphasized as the largest one in the nation. Walking through the different buildings ranging from business to science, juniors had an opportunity to see college students studying in real time and getting an inside look of what the buildings look like on the inside.
UCF is known for their “Farmer’s Market” in which students with personal businesses, clubs, and sport organizations have the opportunity to have a booth where they can sell their products and promote their stories. Not only did PPCHS juniors get the chance to see college students on their daily routines, but also being able to eat in the UCF cafeteria with the rest of the students.
“It was a great experience to see all these colleges firsthand. My favorite colleges were UF and UCF mostly due to their campus life and how friendly and inviting they seemed,” shares Junior Caysen Chevannes which many other students resonate with. The school spirit and college pride showcased in UCF really left students with excited anticipation for how fun college can be.
The next stop was Flagler College in St. Augustine, a quiet and architecturally advanced college in the middle of a small beach town. After touring the campus and speaking to different students about why they chose Flager, the group went down to the Castillo de San Marcos. After a few minutes of enjoying the sites and walking through the town, the group made their way to the last destination of the day: University of North Florida (UNF).
After day one was complete, everyone unpacked their bags at a Tallahassee Hotel and bright the next day, packed right back up and boarded the bus. Shortly after, arriving in the Florida State University (FSU) with red brick buildings and beautifully landscaped greenery. As the group toured the ground of this campus, eyes shot all around the area trying to take in the scenery and the large sorority and fraternity houses going down street lanes.
Gathering in the FSU auditorium, students had the opportunity to ask any questions in this Q&A session that could be answered by the bus tour guide and by the FSU student who joined in the tour. Ranging from stats to dorm descriptions, to study abroad programs, the discussion helped answer many rising doubts. After eating lunch in the FSU cafeteria, the bus made its way up the state to arrive at the “Harvard” of Florida: University of Florida (UF).
Upon arrival, people lifted from the bus seats to peek out the window to see the many buildings, gardens, and even preschool that UF has on its campus. First, they arrived at the Reitz Union which is the place UF students are allowed to go gather, collaborate, and share ideas. As the tour group walked in, they had 30 minutes like in every other college to visit the bookstore in which universities sell their merchandise.
Walking through the huge campus, students spotted plenty of scooters— which is a common way of transportation in this college town, dance teams performing for the public, and finally reaching the famous Bell Tower which rang its honorable bell that vibrated through campus. Making one last stop, students made it to the UF football stadium decorated in vibrant green, blue, and orange hues. After the tour, the bus headed to the lineup of restaurants where students ate dinner and enjoyed a bonding time together.
To end the day, the tour group made its way to the UF bowling alley where they had the chance to play bowling with other college students, play pool, and enjoy a time of entertainment as the night came. Then reaching the last hotel of the trip in Tampa where they unpacked, slept, and then boarded the bus once again.
Junior Julia Cortes wholeheartedly shares that one of her favorite memories was, “…being in the hotel with my roommates, talking, and winding down together. Then having to wake up and rushing to make it to breakfast on time. It was just overall really fun with them!”
On this third day, it was time to visit the last three schools on the list: University of South Florida (USF), University of South Florida, St. Pete, and Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). All which offered pretty sights, libraries, and majors they are highly recognized for like USF’s incredible medical programs.
After eating lunch and dinner, students made their way to the bus one last time to head home with big takeaways which junior Santiago Bogota expresses to be that “…there are a lot of options in Florida and choosing may be hard, but at the end of the day there are many routes and options to get to our dream school. We just have to stay positive.”
A warm surprise came from the Charter alumni who were spotted in almost every campus that were visited, and many were recognized by the group of juniors who leaped in joy to be reunited with their former classmates. These past graduates spoke about their fresh experiences transitioning from Pines Charter to now a state university and shared the tips they found would help these students the most as they step into their senior year.
“Being able to see my past classmates for the first time since leaving Charter was definitely nostalgic. I was lucky enough to join the tour and show them spots on campus that aren’t usually pointed and answer any questions they had about the college process,” Charter alumni and USF freshman Coralie Richardson explains.
On the bus ride back, students laughed, sang, and had the chance to grab Wirshba’s microphone to say a few words about the amazing experiences and lessons that were learned on this three-day journey. As Pines Charter’s class of 2026 prepares to enter their final year in high school, they remain confident in the advice they learned and will carry into next year as they begin to apply to their future college institutions.
