Program type
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Before going on this study abroad program, I had no interest in being an elementary teacher. I still don’t have an interest in being one. However, one of the key takeaways I got from working with our partner school through the trip was my confidence and self-efficacy as a teacher. I recently completed my student…
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One of my favorite aspects of the Choco-Rica study abroad program was being able to taste farm-fresh cacao fruit. When I first applied to the program, I was expecting to learn about chocolate and the process of making chocolate, but there was so much about that process that I was unaware of. I knew what…
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Aside from everything we learned regarding agriculture, economics, politics, food security, and healthcare, I was able to experience so many unique aspects of Cuban culture. Cubans evidently have a very strong passion for music, dance, art, and food- which also appeared to be their primary forms of entertainment. We spent one night in Viñales, a…
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As we toured farms that grew crops like coffee, mangos, sweet potatoes, and tobacco, the workers explained how they are required by contract to give a percentage of their harvest to the state, but that they are able to do what they wanted with the rest. We were also told that the state is trying…
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One of our final excursions in Cuba was an overnight stay in La Picadora, a cooperative farming community. Here, people lived very traditionally with a lack of modern technology that would ease their heavy workload. We were also told about the lack of labor due to the youth moving away from the countryside, and this…
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On my study abroad trip to Spain, we took a day trip to Cordoba. While in Cordoba, we were led on a guided tour of the Mosque-Cathedral. The Mosque-Cathedral was built in the 7th century and completed in the 16th century with architecture switching back and forth from Christian and Muslim influence. The Great Mosque…
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As we landed back in Atlanta, I was filled with so many emotions of being both sad and happy at the same time. I was happy to be back home with Chick-fil-a and my own bed and shower, yet sad because I didn’t want to leave the new friends I made or the beautiful cities…
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Before going on my study abroad, everyone I told about my trip told me “you’re about to change your life”. I never really understood what they meant by that before but as I reflect on my trip, I can truly say that studying abroad has changed my life. Before embarking on this trip, I was…
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One thing that we got to learn about while learning about chocolate production is the differences in large and small cacao farms in Costa Rica. The first farm we visited was owned by a man named Edwin, who owned and operated his farm with only the help of his wife and one employee. He gave…