Mentor: Harlie Rankin
Internship Reflection
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For my internship, 6 other students and I went on an environmental service trip to Bahia De Caraquez in Ecuador through an organization called Global Student Embassy (GSE). Over spring break, we traveled for 26 hours to our destination where we worked in a greenhouse at a local high school, planted trees at a farm, reforested in the dry tropical forest, and reforested along the coast. I chose to do this because I think it is extremely valuable to travel and learn about different cultures.
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Last year over spring break I went on a similar trip with GSE to Nicaragua. Being able to help others that don’t have as much as you is so gratifying and rewarding. I really wanted the chance to do it again and also see the differences between Ecuadorian and Nicaraguan lifestyles.
Harlie Rankin, my mentor, has a major in Environmental and Sustainability studies from Seattle University. She traveled to Bahia a year ago on a college GSE trip and fell in love. After graduating from Seattle, she moved to Bahia and began working as an onsite trip leader for GSE. On my trip, Harlie was one of our trip leaders. Her role was to plan our stay: what we’d be eating, who we would get to interact with, where we would be doing our service, when we would have group discussions, etc. I personally learned a lot about the environment and why deforestation is such a big problem. I also learned more about the value of art in a community. It brings hope to a struggling locality. One thing I really appreciated about her is her willingness to submerge us in the culture and encourage us with the things we were interested in.
The biggest challenge I faced was getting sick right in the middle of our trip. Half of our group caught some kind of 24-hour stomach bug. As a result, we sicklings missed a full day of work. I discovered that when you get sick in a foreign country nothing sounds better than home. My difficulty was to remain energetic and have enthusiasm about the trip even though all I really wanted was to go home and eat a sandwich. I am extremely glad about all of this because it reminded me of the little privileges we take for granted daily in the states. Nicaragua is a more poverty stricken country so the culture shock was immediately present. In Ecuador, they are slightly more advanced, so I didn’t feel like I was in a developing country at first. In my opinion, the realization that we are so lucky to live where we do is one of the most valuable parts of the GSE trips. It inspires me to stay positive, grateful, and do what I can to protect our environment while we still can. Getting laid-up is what really made me remember that feeling, and for that I am grateful.
During the actual work, the students all worked really well together and efficiently. It didn’t even feel like work! I credit a lot of this to the fact that we had such a fabulous bunch of students with similar mindsets. In the future if I need to work with a group of people for long periods of time on a project I will certainly make sure they are compatible with myself and others and are willing to work on the tasks at hand. Being with them also reminded me of the importance of socializing with friends. Actually making an effort to hang out with them, not just chatting when you are in class together. This is something I wish I had done more of on the trip. We spent a few different days in collaboration with some kids from their high school’s eco-club. It was so galvanizing to see how many different ways they could entertain themselves with a stick. The eco kids found joy in everything. Even though they don’t have much they are all so positive and enjoy the moment. I would argue that they have more liveliness than 99% of the Americans that I know. I suppose the most priceless lessons learned this time around is, one: to revel in the moment no matter your circumstances, and two: establish as many friendships as you can because you can learn from anyone at any given second if you are willing to. This would be beneficial in a job setting because it creates a more pleasurable, approachable attitude. It becomes easier to bond with co-workers which creates a positive workspace and a willingness to achieve goals together.
When thinking about what I discovered I am good at, two things instantly come to mind: 1. I am really good at digging holes. 2. I am almost always ready to volunteer for new things before other people are. I’m not sure I want to do environmental work as a career, but I absolutely want to continue traveling and working on creating a green world. I can do this locally and also educate others around me about the importance of their actions. Something I would like to do for the rest of my life is to help others. Whether it be part of a job, for a friend, or for someone 3,000 miles away, I want to have a positive impact on the lives of the global community. Everyone has to live on this planet together, so why not protect the earth and take care of each other while doing so?
Harlie Rankin, my mentor, has a major in Environmental and Sustainability studies from Seattle University. She traveled to Bahia a year ago on a college GSE trip and fell in love. After graduating from Seattle, she moved to Bahia and began working as an onsite trip leader for GSE. On my trip, Harlie was one of our trip leaders. Her role was to plan our stay: what we’d be eating, who we would get to interact with, where we would be doing our service, when we would have group discussions, etc. I personally learned a lot about the environment and why deforestation is such a big problem. I also learned more about the value of art in a community. It brings hope to a struggling locality. One thing I really appreciated about her is her willingness to submerge us in the culture and encourage us with the things we were interested in.
The biggest challenge I faced was getting sick right in the middle of our trip. Half of our group caught some kind of 24-hour stomach bug. As a result, we sicklings missed a full day of work. I discovered that when you get sick in a foreign country nothing sounds better than home. My difficulty was to remain energetic and have enthusiasm about the trip even though all I really wanted was to go home and eat a sandwich. I am extremely glad about all of this because it reminded me of the little privileges we take for granted daily in the states. Nicaragua is a more poverty stricken country so the culture shock was immediately present. In Ecuador, they are slightly more advanced, so I didn’t feel like I was in a developing country at first. In my opinion, the realization that we are so lucky to live where we do is one of the most valuable parts of the GSE trips. It inspires me to stay positive, grateful, and do what I can to protect our environment while we still can. Getting laid-up is what really made me remember that feeling, and for that I am grateful.
During the actual work, the students all worked really well together and efficiently. It didn’t even feel like work! I credit a lot of this to the fact that we had such a fabulous bunch of students with similar mindsets. In the future if I need to work with a group of people for long periods of time on a project I will certainly make sure they are compatible with myself and others and are willing to work on the tasks at hand. Being with them also reminded me of the importance of socializing with friends. Actually making an effort to hang out with them, not just chatting when you are in class together. This is something I wish I had done more of on the trip. We spent a few different days in collaboration with some kids from their high school’s eco-club. It was so galvanizing to see how many different ways they could entertain themselves with a stick. The eco kids found joy in everything. Even though they don’t have much they are all so positive and enjoy the moment. I would argue that they have more liveliness than 99% of the Americans that I know. I suppose the most priceless lessons learned this time around is, one: to revel in the moment no matter your circumstances, and two: establish as many friendships as you can because you can learn from anyone at any given second if you are willing to. This would be beneficial in a job setting because it creates a more pleasurable, approachable attitude. It becomes easier to bond with co-workers which creates a positive workspace and a willingness to achieve goals together.
When thinking about what I discovered I am good at, two things instantly come to mind: 1. I am really good at digging holes. 2. I am almost always ready to volunteer for new things before other people are. I’m not sure I want to do environmental work as a career, but I absolutely want to continue traveling and working on creating a green world. I can do this locally and also educate others around me about the importance of their actions. Something I would like to do for the rest of my life is to help others. Whether it be part of a job, for a friend, or for someone 3,000 miles away, I want to have a positive impact on the lives of the global community. Everyone has to live on this planet together, so why not protect the earth and take care of each other while doing so?