This trip was an assortment of different things. Of course, it was educational in many regards. I learned about Jamaican culture and history, I physically sat in a fourth grade classroom and learned like a student attending a Jamaican school, and I learned from Thea, Kaye, and my fellow GSI members. My time in Jamaica also gave me some time to reflect on myself as an individual. We learned about the steps towards being a "global citizen." Prior to Jamaica, I found myself to oscillate between "volunteer" and "conscientious citizen." Now that I've traveled, served, and made it back to the grand ole USA, I think I have achieved the level of global citizen. I've become more curious, more concerned about the root causes of things. I think I've grown over this past week, and I want to continue to nurture this maturation throughout my time here at Stevens and in my adult life.
I wasn't concerned that I didn't know any of the students on this trip when I signed up... however, I didn't imagine that we'd become such a close bunch! We shared our watershed moments and our privileges, we laughed well into the night playing charades and Cards Against Humanity, we became an unbeatable team that could accomplish anything within a day's work. In just one week, I have made 10 more friends that I would only have the pleasure of serving with again and again. I thank Megan, John, Andrew (Matt), Kevin (James), Evan, Julia, Morgan, Alli, Jane, Elise, Thea, and Kaye for being such open, inspiring, fun, and energetic people. You made this experience much more than I anticipated, and I am so thankful.
It's strange to realize that I will go back to my research on Monday, thousands of miles away from James and Miss G at the Whistling Bird, Miss Winnie and Dr. Hilton at Taino Cove, Merit, and the beautiful children at both Gordon's primary school and Pedro Plains Primary School. Life continues on as it always does, but my trip to Jamaica with Stevens GSI will continue to resonate in my memory and impact my decisions as I proceed.
I'll end my post with a quotation that Kaye shared with us on our last night at Taino Cove. It perfectly encapsulates the trip, and I hope it inspires future Stevens students to not help, not fix, but serve:
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these grounds. Broad wholesome charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired be vegetating in one little corner of the earth over one's lifetime."--Mark Twain
--Olivia
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