NICARAGUA 1997
In my senior year of high school, March 1997, I had the unique opportunity to travel to Managua, Nicaragua as part of George School's Community Service Program. I spent two weeks living with a family en el Barrio Riguero, Managua, Nicaragua, learning about the life and culture and volunteering in the local private school, La Nicaraguita, sister school to George School. Working with children in the 2nd grade and living a life of poverty and destitution taught me to appreciate what I had, and see how others made a living with the only basic necessities - a place to live, food to eat, education, family and friends. The basic necessities to most, but to La Familia Robelo, this was everything. |
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PERU 2007
A whole month in Peru and all expenses paid? It sounded too good to be true, but as I learned more about the program, I found myself yearning to be a part of such an amazing opportunity. When I found that I had been accepted to be a part of the program, I was ecstatic. As a Spanish teacher who is just beginning her career, I knew that an experience like this would be invaluable. Aside from living in a Spanish-speaking country and interacting with native Spanish speakers on a daily basis, I would also be learning about an educational system that differs from my own back in the United States . July 2007 was a month I will never forget. The experience exceeded all of my expectations in so many ways, from general tourist activities to classroom observations and conversations with Peruvian teachers. I even tasted Cuy!! (Cuy is guinea pig, a delicacy in the Andes region of Peru ) I held an anaconda in the Amazon, took part in a tranquility ritual performed by a Shaman, and spent my 28th birthday hiking the ancient Incan ruins at Machu Picchu, one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. I feel so fortunate to have had such an opportunity, and I am confident that the experience has enhanced my Spanish proficiency and helped to develop my skills as an educator. |
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EL SALVADOR 2008
Project FIAT volunteer mission in El Salvador These service projects to reach out to needy communities in and outside of the United States. For Project FIAT International, participants leave the comfort, efficiency, and competitiveness of their culture, to enter to some extent into the values, experiences, and limiting circumstances with which billions of the world’s people live. |
Dominican Republic 2011 |
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