Why They Flee: The Story of Central American Migrants

Throughout U.S. history, immigration has been an important element of the development of the U.S. as a diverse and powerful state. Despite these early beginnings, immigrants in the U.S., particularly those from Mexico and Central America, face overwhelming discrimination. Hispanic immigration to the U.S. has occurred for over a century, yet, political dialogue today frames …

Iceland: The reason I travel

I hear it said all the time; travel to find yourself, to figure out who you really are. People on social media regularly cite quotes to inspire you to travel the world, to go find yourself in adventure in new places. I liked to think that I understood quotes like that. I tried to understand …

With all my heart: thank you

This post is extremely bittersweet, as it’s my fourth, and last, post about Students Helping Honduras (SHH), the organization that changed my life. I wanted this post to be a little different; to look back on these last four years of trips and fundraising, to not only reminisce, but to say thank you to the …

Standing Among Giants

For the longest time, I thought that giants weren’t real; they were just something you read in fairy tales, or saw in movies. That is, until I visited Sequoia National Park. There, giants are everywhere, in the form of trees towering over anything in their presence. And let me tell you, standing below one of …

Brazil: A Development Crisis

Recently, I stumbled upon an article in the New York Times called “In the Amazon, a Catastrophic Gold Rush Looms,” written by Chris Feliciano Arnold. Having traveled to the Amazon, and having a strong interest in international development, I was instantly drawn to the issues presented in this article.  The author discusses the implications of …

How to Study Abroad Responsibly

Having spent so much time in Peru, it's easy to see why millions of tourists each year flock to the country to see its many enchanting sites. The rich combination of geographic wonders and heritage sites makes Peru an attraction for adventure seekers and history lovers all the same. However, despite being home to one …

The Case for the Paris Climate Agreement

The recent decision of President Donald Trump to remove the United States from the UNFCC Paris Climate Agreement has caused a lot of reactions, both positive and negative from respective parties. Trump has threatened to remove or reduce the contribution of the United States in many other international organizations and treaties, including: The United Nations, …

What Nobody Tells You about Study Abroad

You’ve probably heard someone tell you to study abroad by saying its an amazing opportunity to see the world, learn about a new culture, and meet incredible people with similar interests as you. Nearly every college encourages study abroad, and now more and more students are choosing to spend a winter, a summer, a semester, …

Welcome to the Jungle

The wake up call came at 4:30 am. We were staying at an eco lodge that only had electricity from 5pm to 9pm at night, so we stumbled around our cabin getting ready for the day’s adventure.  I’ll admit, I was grumpy about it in the beginning, but as I heard birds singing and felt …

Making Friends in the Galápagos

Upon arrival in the Galápagos, I felt like I had arrived in another planet.  The landscape was unlike anything I had ever seen. After meeting up with a representative from our hotel, we took a bus to the Canal de Itabaca, where we took a ferry across the blue water to Santa Cruz Island. As …