Painting a Coat to Keep the Termites Away

Author: Madison Price | Major: Agricultural Business

As a rural, first-generation student with limited opportunities, exposure, and diversity, I knew from the moment I chose the University of Arkansas that I wanted to study abroad. It was not until I spoke with Dr. Jennie Popp and the director of the faculty-led program in Belize, Dr. Lisa Wood, that I knew exactly where I needed to choose to spend my study abroad experience. I chose this program because I knew that I could offer my working hands and knowledge to those community partners, and walk away with a new, grateful perspective. Each person I came in contact within Belize inspired me to work harder and to persevere to accomplish what I set out to do day in and day out. This experience advanced my academic and professional goals every day by getting out of my comfort zone and thinking outside of the box to accomplish tasks. The hands-on experience opened me up to tasks I never dreamed of doing. The very first day on the site we were put in groups and told to start on a project, with little to no instructions. This challenged me, as I typically follow instructions and rubrics very closely, and rarely get the opportunity to be creative and a problem-solver in the typical classroom setting. This shows how the service-learning study abroad experience differed from most classes I take at the University of Arkansas. My instructors were all very helpful while pushing us out of our comfort zones. Above all, Dr. Lisa Wood truly knows how to make this experience reach its full potential. Dr. Wood consistently was an example to each of us whether that was interacting with the people of Belize, working hard at the work site at the school, or talking with us about everything we experienced day to day.

My study abroad group was lucky to have some amazing experiences, as we were fully emersed in the community in Dangriga, Belize. One to two meals a day were cooked by women in the community. Every morning, the older woman that owned the hotel we stayed in, cooked us breakfast. In the evening, we would typically travel to people in the community’s homes and eat meals they prepared for us. It was so interesting to fully get to eat a diet daily that Belizeans regularly had. We also got to travel to different cities in Belize on the weekends, including San Ignacio, Hopkins, and Caye Caulker. In San Ignacio, we visited some Mayan ruins, including Xunantunich. I also went zip lining and cave tubed through some beautiful parts of the country. In Caye Caulker the entire group went and snorkeled at the barrier reef, where we got to swim with nurse sharks and mana rays. The barrier reef was unreal to see in person and altogether was an experience that I will never forget. My favorite encounter with an interesting person would be with one of our community partners, Pine. Pine helped us every step of the way on our projects at St. Mathews school. He told stories of his past and was so inspiring to each of us. He was the hardest worker I have ever met and was always grateful for life and the journey he had. He inspired the team and I daily.

I would definitely recommend this trip to any student who is up for a challenging, yet so extremely rewarding trip. This trip was not always glamorous, but with perseverance and a hard work ethic, each of my classmates and I completed tasks and learned so much along the way. I truly believe that me going in somewhat clueless on the little details, and just knowing the big picture made this service-learning program so much greater. It allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and take every challenge and experience in and developed me to learn how to adapt.