While many are panicked about the current pandemic, a college graduate with many lessons learned decided to make a blog. This will be a place where I will be reflecting about my experiences in graduate school and my time working with Outreach360!

During spring break 2019, I was fortunate enough to spend time in the Dominican Republic volunteering with Outreach360 in Monte Cristi. I found myself jumping right into the role of a teacher, and I knew that I could have an impact here. As I recall my times of teaching English and Spanish to the hard-working children in these schools I also found myself wanting more. Wanting to spend more time here. Extending a helping hand to build others up, just as others had done for me. As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic was started, my life at Lebanon Valley College was uplifted. I moved home, classes started online, and my last semester of college was spent studying in my childhood bedroom. While everything turned out okay, I knew I wouldn’t be having the normal plans of moving to New York for graduate school that summer. Instead I was provided a new opportunity…

A few weeks after being home, I received news that I couldn’t start working June 1st as originally planned by my advisor. Instead, new students would have to wait until at least July. Not what I had planned, but it wasn’t in my control. The very next day, I received an email from the head of Outreach360 asking if I would like to participate in the Summer 2020 Virtual Internship program teaching STEM subjects to students in Nicaragua. This was something I knew I could do, and sure enough I jumped at the opportunity. I was so fortunate to be fully funded by family and friends for this journey. All of the donations I collected went towards learning supplies for children in Nicaragua during my internship period.

My time commitment to Outreach360 will be four hours a day, five days a week, from May 18th to June 12th. I am SO excited for this. Please subscribe to my blog if you would like to follow my journey! I’ll be posting some learning materials that I’m making as well as reflections during this time. Please subscribe to recieve email updates below and check back soon!