Local photographer delivers mail from Nepal

Bordewich-Bray fifth-graders glimpsed the other side of the world when they read letters from and saw pictures of students who live near the base of Mount Everest.

"It was cool because you could see what they do and how they do it," said Hannah Works, 11. "It was neat to see how they write when they don't write in English."

Nevada Appeal photographer Rick Gunn carried letters from Marianna Gillilan's fifth-grade class with him on his trip to Nepal in October. He delivered the letters to students of the Sherpa tribe and carried their responses back to Carson City.

"I wanted the opportunity to share different cultures with the students," Gunn said. "I wanted to teach tolerance and acceptance for other cultures, religions and ways of life."

Gunn visited Khumjung, a school founded by Sir Edmund Hillary. Hillary and Tenzing Norgy, a Nepalese Sherpa tribesmen, were the first men to reach the top of Mount Everest in 1953.

The Sherpa traditionally carried expedition gear up the 29,028-foot mountain and many died in the journey. Hillary started the school as an expression of gratitude.

Students at the school are taught English as part of the regular curriculum.

"In school we learn Nepali, English, math and science," wrote one Nepalese student.

Gillilan said the experience gave students a better understanding of the reality of other countries.

"He basically opened a window for them to the world in a very personal way," she said. "I feel so lucky that he did this for us."

Amanda Reynolds stuck a Tweety Bird sticker to her letter before sending it to Nepal with Gunn. In the slide show, she saw a Nepalese girl reading the letter with the sticker on it.

"It was kind of weird because it doesn't seem like they have much electricity and stuff so it doesn't seem like they'd know what the characters are," Reynolds, 10, said. "I liked reading the letters because they were interesting."

Gunn said he had about 20 minutes in each of the classrooms to make the presentation.

"During those 20 minutes, I feel like those students had a chance to connect," Gunn said. "Just for that brief moment, they were thinking of each other across the globe.

"Whether or not I changed the world, I don't know. I'll take that one step at a time."

However, Gillilan said she is not looking for someone to change the world but for someone who can get her students interested in learning.

"What I treasure so much about Rick is he's enriching the education I'm trying to give them," she said. "You're always looking for something to light a spark, so I'm so grateful to him."

Emanuel Gallegos, 11, speaks Spanish and is learning sign language this year in class. After seeing the Nepalese language, it piqued his interest to learn more.

"I wish I could understand it," Gallegos said. "I want to learn the language so I could talk to them."

Last January, Gillilan's students mailed letters to students in Placerville, Calif. Gunn picked up the responses and carried them along the 90-mile trail over the Sierra to Genoa, following the "Snowshoe" Thompson trail.

Gillilian's students met Gunn in Genoa at "Snowshoe" Thompson's grave.