HECUA Spring 2016

I knew I wanted a unique study abroad experience, and HECUA provided just that. The academic aspect of the program is refreshingly different from the American college norm. The classroom offers an intimate setting in which you have plenty of opportunities to peruse the minds of some of the nations experts in topics ranging from environmental impacts of oil drilling in the Amazon to rights of indigenous communities. However, greater learning comes from the aspects of the program that don't happen in the classroom. A major aspect of this program is an internship with an organization of your choice in Quito. This not only lets you further explore an area of interest, but it also helps you gain independence in Quito and get to know different members of the community. There are also three weekend trips taken as a group throughout the semester to Yasuni National Park in the Amazon; Olmedo, a small fishing village on the coast of Ecuador; and Cotacachi, an area in the mountains of Ecuador where you will stay with an indigenous family. These are experiences you would be hard to encounter outside a program like this.
What makes this program truly special are the people who make it possible. HECUA has a team of some of the most kind, intelligent, and funny people I have ever met, and they truly have your best interest at heart. They also have resources and contacts that will have you meeting some of Ecuador's finest. Not to mention the host families. Every family that I met as a part of the program truly made their student a part of their family. I know that I will always have a home and a family in Ecuador.
Outside of the program itself, we were able to travel extensively around Ecuador (which is something I would highly recommend) and make life-long friends. Almost all of your weekends are available for trips, which is all you will need for most places as Ecuador is not very large and highly accessible by bus. You also have a week free for spring break for a longer trip. We also enjoyed Quito's nightlife - through which we ended up meeting friends that showed us even more of Ecuador's unique culture.
All in all, I would highly recommend this program for someone who wants a unique study abroad experience and is not afraid of getting dirty and maybe not quite understand what is going on at all times.