Since 2019, Menlo senior classes have celebrated spring break together in Punta Mita, Mexico. But after cartel violence erupted in nearby Puerto Vallarta in late February, families began pulling out of this year’s trip and scrambling to reorganize grade-wide plans in Palm Springs, Calif.
Historically, the senior spring break trip had been broken into two parts. The week was planned to start with more than 90 members of the class, along with their families, staying in large, villa-style housing within the Punta Mita resort. Even more families and students were expected to attend the second half of the week, held at Iberostar, an all-inclusive resort that packages accommodation, meals and drinks into one fixed price.
On Feb. 22, however, those plans were thrown into question when a Mexican military operation in the state of Jalisco killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the New Generation Jalisco Cartel, better known as El Mencho. In the days following El Mencho’s death, cartel violence spread across the country, with gunfights, roadblocks and fires reported in several areas, including the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta.
Heidi Abrams and Karein Freehill, senior parent organizers of the all-inclusive portion of the trip, were quick to react, sending an email to parents the next day on Feb. 23.
“The best guidance we can offer at this moment is that each family should make the decision that feels right and comfortable for them,” they wrote. “We are all navigating this information in real time, and everyone’s circumstances and comfort levels may be different.”
Jessica Axelrod, mother of Julia Axelrod (‘26) and Noah Axelrod (‘28), had helped make plans for her daughter to stay in a house with eight of her friends for the first part of the trip and attend the all-inclusive portion as well. When she heard the news of the violence, her first instinct was to assess the situation for safety concerns. “No matter how much effort, time or financial resources are spent, I think the safety of all you kids was top of mind for everybody,” she said.
Others felt similarly — senior Aakarsh Mohan said his parents were also concerned. “I remember first hearing about the cartel violence,” Mohan said, “and my dad, especially, was super against me going no matter what, even if the group was gonna go all together.”
The real estate broker for several of the villas, Christyan Contreras, reached out to offer guidance to families during the uncertainty.
“Puerto Vallarta and the entire bay, including Punta Mita, have been known for many years as a peaceful area that’s very focused on tourism,” Contreras wrote in an email to The Coat of Arms. “What happened on Feb. 22 was very unusual. After that, things have returned to normal in a relatively short time, and there have been no official reports of civilians being injured during that incident.”
But the headlines were difficult for many families to ignore, even those familiar with the area. Senior Elsa Sonsini has taken many trips to Punta Mita, including one for her brother Jake Sonsini’s (‘24) senior trip. She said the drive from the Puerto Vallarta airport to Punta Mita has always been a safety concern.
“People [this year] were like, ‘once we get to the houses, we’re not worried,’” she said. “It’s more about getting there and going through the areas which are most dangerous.”
Over the course of the next two weeks, all Menlo families pulled out of the original Mexico plans.
“No parent wanted to be the bad guy,” Axelrod said. “A lot of parents were feeling very similarly concerned. There were some parents who were maybe more in the wait-and-see category, and others who pulled their kid immediately. […] There was also a lot of money on the table, and I think that was a factor for some families not wanting to pull out right away.”
Disappointment spread quickly among the senior class. “It was something I was looking forward to from the start of the year, just to be with my closest friends along with the rest of the grade,” Mohan said.
Sonsini was also concerned that the class was missing out on a major bonding opportunity. “It’s a really great way for everybody in the grade to become super close right before everyone leaves for college, so it’s really sad that we can’t go,” she said.
Even with the Mexico plans derailed, senior parents quickly began searching for alternatives. According to a poll sent to senior parents on Feb. 28, which received 109 responses, 56.5% of families said they remained flexible and were open to new plans with the “primary goal for seniors to spend time together.”
Throughout the next week, several location options were thrown out by different groups of friends. Many of the villas in Punta Mita were non-refundable, a factor that led many families to seek out a cheaper alternative. Parent leaders ended up settling on Palm Springs and have coordinated housing, logistics and grade-wide activities. More than 75 students are set to attend — just 15 students shy of the original number for the Punta Mita villas.
Senior Ananya Goel was planning to attend the all-inclusive portion of the Mexico trip but canceled when she heard about the violence and booked a trip to Paris. “In Mexico, we would have all been in the same area and within the same hotel, but that wasn’t gonna happen with Palm Springs,” she said. “It was just going to be so separate that it didn’t really feel like a full grade trip anymore.”
Senior Zach Reynolds agrees with Goel that coordinating grade-wide activities in Palm Springs may be more difficult than in Mexico; however, he remains optimistic.
“I feel like our grade is very close and our grade has a really good culture,” Reynolds said. “And I feel like no matter where we go, our grade is capable of having a really good time together.”
One difference between Mexico and Palm Springs is local law. In Mexico, the drinking age is 18 and, historically, senior classes have taken advantage of that. In the United States, the drinking age is 21, making it illegal for seniors to obtain alcohol. Palm Springs also limits gatherings and noise past 9 p.m. as part of a city ordinance that restricts loud music.
“Obviously, Palm Springs is a lot stricter with some of their rules,” Reynolds said. “The laws are different in America than in Mexico, but I think that it’ll still be a lot of fun.”
Axelrod reiterated that she hopes the experience itself matters more than the location. “This is something that all of [the seniors] have been looking forward to for years,” Axelrod said. “I don’t think the location is particularly important. It’s about being together.”
Upper School Assistant Director Adam Gelb similarly downplayed the importance of location, but instead emphasized his chronic concern over a senior spring break trip. “Even without the recent events in Mexico and the cartel, I still worry about the senior trip, wherever it is,” Gelb said. “I was a senior once. I went on a senior trip. I know what happens at the senior trip. I worry about that all the time. You’re talking about putting 160 teenagers off campus.”
Axelrod said she has already been talking with sophomore parents about how the senior spring break tradition might evolve for future classes.
“What are the lessons learned?” she said. “What might we be able to do differently going forward, and how can we continue to try to make this like, more inclusive, just as fun, and less stressful for kids and parents, so hopefully we can learn from this experience.”
