When I studied abroad in Panama, I had the opportunity to live for two weeks in an indigenous Ngobe-Bugle village during my independent study project. This experience gave me a unique opportunity to see a much simpler way of life, where we got up and went to bed with the sun, and bathed, did laundry and fetched water from the river. Aspects of this life were appealing, but I was also struck by how little was known about basic sanitation and water. People in the village had very little access to information, which was made worse by their isolation as well as their poverty. Increasing education would help break this cycle, helping the Ngobe-Bugle to help themselves. Education can do many things, from preventing common problems like waterborne sicknesses to expanding job opportunities. Upon returning to the States, I decided to join Few for Change, with the hope of giving children in this community a leg-up. The money we raise becomes scholarships that enable bright middle school-aged children to attend school that otherwise might not have the economic means.
Aside from Few for Change, I also love traveling and learning about new cultures, and especially tasting and concocting new foods. I am very interested in environmental sustainability, and since graduating from the University of New Hampshire in May 2010, I am looking for ways to become involved in that field. An internship in New Zealand with a non-profit called The EcoSchool is hopefully next on the horizon, where I hope to take up surfing, learn about sustainable design and beekeeping, and be an environmental educator.
