Student Updates!

Rachel is thoroughly enjoying her time in Ecuador, jumping at all opportunities to
practice her Spanish and engage with locals. Her lighthearted and team-centric attitude
has been an incredible asset, as we’ve all benefitted from her commitment to bonding our
group into an inclusive, cohesive unit!

Marlie is fully embracing the chance to explore the country that members of her family
come from! She was excited to interact with the Ecuadorian teenagers from the Liceo de
Valle school that we’ll be working with and went out of her way to make connections
with them during our hike up to the Pita waterfalls.

Mickey is having a wonderful time here in Ecaudor! He is amazing the locals with his
mad “Myachi” skills. In the group, Mickey has a calming presence—he is consistently
pleasant to be around, cracking us up with his dry wit, and always ready to engage in the
activity at hand.

Faith’s humor and enthusiam are infectious, and have helped make the first part of this
trip incredible! She has easily integrated with the rest of the group, and approaches
every activity with excitement and appreciation---she’s probably got the record for “most
pictures taken” so far as she tries to capture each precious memory on film!

Isaac’s attitude can be summed up with this quotation: “I’ll cook all the food, I’ll wash all
the dishes—I’ll do anything, just let me know!” Isaac is putting his all into this trip. He
is tackling opportunities with gusto: from learning more Spanish to dominating the hike
to Cotopaxi when he was feeling a little under the weather!

Emily really enjoyed her time at the Tarabitha waterfalls just past Banos where we gave
each student an opportunity to be solo and silently reflect on their journey thus far. In the
group, Emily has been a real help—she’s been busy helping to cook a few of our meals,
and never hesitates to lend a hand in the cleaning process! We’re thankful to have her
around!

Julia’s fast-talking, high energy personality translates well in Ecudador! Julia has some
natural leadership skills, and has led several games with our group. Julia also took turns
playing several songs for us at the campfire we had on Tuesday night, which was a real
treat! She’s excited to get to know her homestay family and teach arts at the friendship
camp next week!

Alyssa---this girl’s got tenacity! Although challenged by the Cotopaxi hike and the
canyoning, she powered through and conquered it all! Alyssa has chosen to be in the “Art
Department” for our friendship camp, and has some great ideas for how to make it
memorable for the Ecuadorian children we’ll be working with!

Emma’s insatiable hunger for adventure and sharp wit have brought joy to the group
during these formative first days. Her drive has helped set a tone for the rest of the
group, and a focus on spontaneity and humor! She has excelled at all activities so
far—be it hiking a volcano, rapelling down a 30 meter waterfall, or simply sharing her
thoughts in a group setting.

Niall’s thoughtful nature has been an essential factor in bringing the group together—he
helps us dig deeper into the world around us, turning us away from tourism and tuning us
into the true Ecuadorian culture.  His artistic talents are admired by all, as he displayed immediate
salsa dancing talent, and wowed us with mellifluous singing voice and guitar skills!

Clare has inspired us all with her determination in the face of fear! Rapelling down a 30
meter waterfall? No problem. In a beautiful example a group coming together, Team
Ecuador encouraged Clare to step up to the challenge, and she came through it all with
a triumphant smile. We were thrilled when she took the initiative to lead a group game
with our new Liceo de Valle friends, breaking barriers between two cultures!