As an undergraduate at Bowdoin College, I studied abroad in Panama during the Spring 2009 semester. While in Panama, I visited the Comarca Ngobe-Bugle and had the opportunity to stay there for two days and two nights. My time and experiences there were literally eye-opening, and living the Ngobe lifestyle first hand made it obvious that they are in an inescapable cycle of poverty. After only two nights, I could barely fathom living there my whole life. I, like the other members of this group, witnessed first hand the economic and psychological barriers of the Ngobe community towards bettering their lives and those of future generations. My home stay sister was one of the few children in the community who was still getting an education past elementary school, and the difference it was making compared to the other kids her age was obvious. Education is empowerment, and that is what I hope to see come from awarding Ngobe students with scholarships.
I graduated from Bowdoin in 2010 with a double degree in Environmental Studies and Spanish. After graduating, I returned home to Colorado where I am now working for Vail Associates in Sales & Marketing. My interests include sustainability, photography, reading, traveling and the great outdoors.
