A trip to France left PCI Students with a new feeling of respect for those lost during the World Wars.

Grade 12 PCI Student Sophie Collier was part of the school's Spring Break trip to France, and while there, made an incredible discovery at the L'Anneau de la mémoire in Northern France. Collier was able to find her great-great uncle's name along the wall of fallen soldiers from World War 1, and she explains how she did.

"When I found out we were going to do our 3 day stay ahead of time, I knew we were going to that area of France, and I've done a bit of family research so I knew that was where he had been killed. So when our tour guide said it has the names of everyone who died there I went and looked for his name."

Collier says even though she knew her great-great uncle's name would be there, she never thought she'd find it among all the names.

"I wasn't really expecting it. I knew that he had died in that region, but to see his name there was pretty powerful. You kind of feel a connection that you weren't expecting.

Collier adds it was really special for her, and she was able to share it with family back home.

"I was in touch with my dad and my aunt the whole time I was in northern France because my grandfather was actually part of the Second World War. So I found my great-great uncle who died during the First World War, than a few days later we went to Juno Beach where my grandfather was during the Second World War."

She adds all the students, especially her, returned with a new found respect and connection with those lost during the World Wars.