I was awarded the Benjamin Gilman Scholarship and ultimately spent an entire academic year studying abroad in Heredia, Costa Rica. There I studied Spanish, sustainability and Latin American culture. I also served as an English teaching assistant, made new friends and became a beekeeper! I frequently think back on my first weekend in Costa Rica, hiking the Irazú volcano. I remember that when standing at the bottom, it looked insurmountable. In a new country, a whole new world, I was determined to persevere. One step at a time, I gained ground, finally reaching the summit. Sitting on the edge of the active crater, I was on top of the world. I could see from coast to coast and everything in between. From the top of Irazú, it was easy to see how we are all connected. I realized that this world is not so big after all.
After returning from Costa Rica in January 2020, I began working as an international student ambassador for the study abroad office at my college. Because I was once an international exchange student myself, I am grateful to help other students who are studying abroad in the United States acclimate to our culture. I also use my study abroad experience as a peer assistant language tutor for the Spanish department at W.&J. In addition, I work for an N.G.O. called the Post-Landfill Action Network (P.L.A.N.) as a campus organizer for Students Taking on Petrochemicals (S.T.O.P.) in the Ohio River Valley region where I live.
These last four years of college have flown by so fast since I was in high school. I cannot wait to be back in a high school classroom! I am looking forward to sharing my travels and meeting each and every one of you soon.
