Avery Dresel: Communications Team Intern, Summer 2024
As a third-year university student majoring in Latin American and Latinx Studies & Spanish at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, traveling to as many Latin American countries as possible has been my goal since my first trip to Latin America in 2020. That year, I traveled to Costa Rica and there I realized a passion of mine: communicating and speaking in Spanish. I am now many years into acquiring Spanish as a second language and am thrilled to soon start my professional career using my language skills and hopefully work alongside Spanish-speaking communities or with non-profit organizations.
Fast forward to earlier this year, I was able to join a group of 20 other students from UWEC on the Social and Environmental Justice immersion trip to Guatemala for three weeks, not knowing that I would come home with a new passion for Guatemala, its culture, and most importantly, its people. The people I encountered in Guatemala came from various backgrounds, but what I encountered in every single individual was kindness, generosity, and selflessness.
As I learned more about Guatemala and its economic and political history, I was struck by how positive and kind the people were despite their current or past circumstances. My own compassion for the Guatemalan culture deepened and I was able to witness a culture that truly valued a positive mindset and perspective despite what they have endured or are currently enduring in their life. Another valuable aspect of this trip was being able to engage in Spanish conversations in which I was able to gain more knowledge about Guatemala from the perspective of native individuals. My passion for speaking Spanish truly thrived during the time I spent in authentic Guatemalan communities.
This past summer, I had the opportunity to work alongside the Communications Team at Common Hope (Familias de Esperanza). This summer has truly been my first glimpse into how fulfilling and impactful it can be to work for a non-profit alongside team members who have real motivations for making impactful change in such a special Latin American country. I also was able to experience a bilingual work setting that truly made me anxious for what the future holds, as my passion for speaking Spanish was able to be exercised in various ways throughout the summer with the Communications Team.
Thank you, Common Hope. Your mission will forever be in my heart.
Avery
Comments