This is a guest blog post from our student social media ambassador, Kaela. Currently studying abroad on the semester program, “New Activisms, Human Rights and Social Justice” that travels to Guatemala and Costa Rica.
As I reflect on the past four months, I am amazed by how close our group has become. While I am excited to take what I’ve learned and return home, I will miss the little community we have built. We were all a bit sad to miss Thanksgiving, so we decided to travel to La Fortuna for the weekend and cook Friendsgiving. It was so refreshing to have time together without the stress of classes, homestays, or anything else. I can say for certain I have made some lifelong friends.
I think the most powerful thing I have experienced on this trip is the humanity behind injustice. In the US, we always learn about these global injustices, but hearing directly from the people affected gives my understanding a whole new perspective. In our final class, we heard from Nicaraguan musicians who had been exiled by the dictatorship for simply speaking up through their music. Stories like these remind us that we are very blessed and privileged to live in a country where we aren’t targeted for speaking on anything we want. Their stories also serve as a warning to use our voices to prevent falling in the same path.
I am incredibly grateful for my time abroad. I feel like I have grown both personally and academically. The experiences and things I have seen in this program I never would have dreamed of experiencing. Studying abroad was the best decision for me, and as I return to my home institution, I look forward to bringing what I have learned into my old spaces.
