Altos De Los Mores Reflection

It was my first time in the Dominican Republic, away from my parents and traveling alone. It was also my first mission trip and I loved every minute of it. As I sat and looked around the village of slums and shacks, I saw that the people were so giving and friendly. They had next to nothing, and yet they were still volunteering to give more.

From an early age, I had the desire to give back to my community. This desire was likely instilled in me by my mother, who as a school teacher, went to great lengths to help her students achieve academically. To better do this, she created at Tupelo Middle School in Mississippi, the Mermaids and Argonauts Program, which allowed students to travel on extended school trips to locations where they were able to have hands-on experiences at zoos, science labs, colleges, museums, and more across the country. As her child, I was able to tag along on many of these trips, which fueled my desire to learn about and interact with my environment. It left me with the great hope that someday I would be able to have such experiences abroad, in order to better learn about the people and cultures with which I interact. For this reason, I hope to study abroad this summer in Pachuca, Mexico.

From the outset of the story there is an overwhelming sense of hope that has enveloped the entire community and school with the upcoming graduation.

During our three years at Cupertino Middle, we learned a lot. Not just about quadratic equations and the solar system, but also about friendship, kindness, and courage. We worked hard, had fun, and went out of our comfort zones everyday. Who new that we would survive the roller coaster ride of middle school and be here getting our diplomas. But we did. Now we are going to high school, hoping we can change the world for the better. Using the skills and formulas we learned, we just might be able to make a difference.

(Credibility) I have personally had the chance to travel on July last year and I was born and raised in Peru and Macchu Picchu is one of the main topics that we speak every year in class.

establish the Peace Corps, a volunteer program that sent young Americans abroad in an effort to

Senior Sela Davis decided to go on this trip because she knew this would have a bigger impact on her than going on another vacation. This experience was more than she expected it to be,

In June of 1942, a senior at the Notre Dame College of Maryland wrote a prophetic message to her fellow student, Elma Kuchar Kelley. On the way to their graduation ceremony, she hurriedly scribbled in the Damozel yearbook, “I know your pupils will love you as much as we do…our loss is their gain.”

The Peruvian culture was selected for this cultural assignment after an encounter with a surprising Peruvian music performance during a routine work commute at a New York City train station. The band, Espiritu Andino, consisted of several male performers in ponchos and threaded caps. Although outshined by a pan flute, all the typical musical instruments worked together to produce soothing and melodic notes. The listeners could easily transcend to mystic mountain tops and river passages. The performance ignited not only intrigue but also admiration for the Peruvian culture.

The country was foreign, a first for me. Dilapidation and ruin scattered the horizon as far as one could see. Guatemala is a place where poverty has a strong grasp on its people. We traveled tirelessly for hours to reach the poorest of the poor. Upon arrival old, young, and natives of all shapes and sizes formed receiving lines, eager to welcome us with gifts of smiles and gratitude. It was an experience that forever changed me. This was the first time I had stepped outside the boundaries of the American culture into a world where nothing is taken for granted. Each day spent on my mission trip brought a fresh awareness of gratefulness. Any pre-trip reluctance quickly became a vague memory as my emotions welled within bring a fresh change to

A little over a year ago, I had to make the decision of choosing between two different trips. I could either go to Spain with the Spanish class and see all that the country has to offer, or I could visit Haiti with the church and give my time to help out around their community. Many factors weighed in on my decision, but in the end, I chose to travel to Haiti!

This summer I will be going to latin America through a non-profit organization called Amigos de las Americas.

Two goals I hope to achieve by going on this trip are exposing myself to different ways of life and learning how I can help others in need. It is evident we are not all the same. Some of us have had to overcome greater obsticals than others, yet we are all living for a better something. I want to learn about the social issues I am unaware of that people have to deal with on a daily basis.

Have you ever imagined the struggles other people have in their life? The first person I am going to talk about is Ernesto Galarza, the second person is Farah Ahmedi, lastly I am going to talk about Monica Alvarez and her brother Marcos.

What concepts, principles, or ideas that you have learned, do you think you will remember the most after you leave this class?