My First Experience Abroad
During my first semester at Illinois, I took an IEFX (Illinois Engineering First-Year Experience) class which culminated in a trip to Guatemala to build houses for families in need in partnership with the Guatemala Project. During the semester, we learned about engineering ethics and applied it to our own project by investigating Guatemalan culture and how it would impact our goals.
The Trip
Over winter break, our class of 21 students and 2 teachers traveled to Antigua, Guatemala to meet with Imagininguate, sister organization of the Guatemala Project. We stayed with a host family which provided us with a better cultural context for the city as well as great practice with our Spanish! Over the two weeks that we were there, we switched between spending our day at the worksite and going on excursions throughout the city and surrounding area. After five work days, we had built a one-room home with a separate bathroom, outdoor stove, electricity, a window and a door.
What I Learned
The experience taught me a lot about cultural awareness, the value of service, and the power of teamwork. Going in, it felt like there was no way we could really make such a large difference in such a short time. In fact, we didn’t know the first thing about building a house before we arrived in Guatemala! But by learning from the Imagininguate workers we were able to contribute meaningfully to the construction. At the end of our trip, we got to watch as the family saw their new house for the first time and give them our well-wishes. As a Spanish-speaker, I didn’t need a translator and could to talk straight to them. To be able to communicate the happiness that I felt at that moment in a more personal way brought profound contentment to my heart, and I could see it was reflected in their’s as well.
