Ashley Tenney and a group of students stand in front of Arenal volcano in Costa Rica. In front from left are Summit Shaw, Taylor Cripe and Ashley Tenney. In back are Lainey McClure, Kaylie Nunemaker, Diana Clark, Allison Clark, Nikki Dyson, Alex Pena, Vaugh Dyson, Dane Cripe, Noah Hairrell, Susan Cripe and Senate Shaw. Photo provided by Ashley Tenney.

By Maksym Hart
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — For Wawasee High School biology teacher Ashley Tenney, the classroom isn’t the only place where learning happens. From the Amazon rainforest to the Galápagos Islands, Tenney has been leading students on transformative international trips, combining education with real-world experiences.

Tenney, who returned to the Wawasee area in 2010 after living in Florida, Ohio and Kentucky, said her path to teaching biology at Wawasee High School wasn’t a straight one. Originally working in the medical field with plans to attend medical school, she shifted gears after her husband secured a job in the RV industry.

“We were having kids and I decided with his travel schedule, it was better to stay home for a few years,” Tenney said. “And then about the time I was getting back into work, they had a position open here at the high school for a biology teacher.”

Her journey into leading student travel started unexpectedly.

“The first trip that I led actually asked to do about six weeks before departure because the teacher had left,” Tenney said. “I was totally caught off guard; we were going to Costa Rica. I said, ‘Hey, I don’t speak Spanish.’”

She continued, “There was so much ecology that we studied and kind of dove into that it really turned out to be kind of a biology trip.”

Students were so inspired by the experience they asked her to lead more trips. Since then, Tenney has guided students to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands. In 2026, she plans to take students to South Korea and Japan, focusing on S.T.E.M. topics, like virtual reality and technology, in addition to cultural exploration. Another trip is planned for 2027 to Berlin, Prague, Kraków and Budapest.

Ashley Tenney

“I really see the value of student travel and learning hands on,” Tenney said. “I know from my students, it’s really given them a lot of confidence to maybe do things bigger than they really originally expected.”

One sobering experience stuck with Tenney and her students during a trip to Ecuador. While whitewater rafting in the Amazon rainforest, they came across an illegal gold mining site.

“The Ecuador government has tried to shut them down, but they haven’t been able to. To watch (the students’) emotions and to see it was really just humbling; they really wanted to make a change … it actually even rerouted that entire river that we were on because of the gold mining,” she said.

Tenney hopes upcoming trips will continue to open students’ eyes to the world’s complexities. The 2026 trip to South Korea and Japan will offer a different perspective, focusing on technology and urban environments.

“In Tokyo, seeing that massive city will, I think, put these kids in awe, because they’re used to this very small town. So it’s a great perspective to travel and look at them through,” she said.

Registration is still open for the 2026 trip, for students and parents alike.

“If I can, I’ll continue to lead these trips,” Tenney said. “So that I can not only learn through my students, but my students can really get to see the whole world or as much of it as I can show them.”