Senior Nicole Worthalter has been waiting six years to make this journey.

She will take a flight April 23 to New York with hundreds of other Jewish teenagers. Then she will travel to Poland and Israel to participate in the March of the Living.

Worthalter is just one of approximately 25 Krop students on this trip. They will march from Auschwitz to Birkenau in Poland and then go to Israel, where they will celebrate their “homeland’s” independence and sightsee.

“It’s an emotional trip, and it can be a life-changing journey,” said junior Kelly Baron, who will make the trip this April.

Principal Matthew Welker recognizes the educational value and has excused the two-week absence.

“I’m not going on vacation,” senior Jaya Oleksnianski said. “I’m going to learn about my past.”

Others, like sophomore Shane Yarchin, decided this wasn’t the year to participate: “It’s a good experience, but with the bombings in Israel, my family has safety issues.”

Oleksnianski realizes the danger, but she and her parents know the value of the march. “Any parent would be concerned, but mine never had the opportunity to do something like this, so they’re excited that I can.”

The march also conflicts with some Advanced Placement tests, so some students decided against making the journey, though make-up exams are offered. “I want to go, but APs are so important this year. I’d like to go as a senior,” junior Madelyn Fisher said.

However, the march is only every-other year for Miami Dade, so Fisher will have to participate in the Adult National Program in college.

Other activities she could join are the Taglit-Birthright Israel Program, a gift that provides all Jewish teenagers the ability to travel to Poland and Israel, or the Dor Chadash Poland trip to experience the lessons of the Holocaust.

The cost of the March, around $4000 plus a flight to-and-from New York, would have also prevented junior Leo Ferretti from going, but he earned a scholarship to pay for the journey, as did Oleksnianski.

Before the March, students attend study sessions every-other Sunday to prepare them for the experience.

“It’s a very emotional experience,” Oleksnianski said. “We’ll have group talk sessions every night [on the March]. Everyone will have to share what they are feeling.”

Teens must be juniors or seniors in high school to participate. All applicants are carefully screened, and applications are not exclusive to Jewish students.