My Experience With School the World

February 2020 was my second year traveling with School the World. The previous year I traveled to Guatemala and the last trip I traveled to Panama. I can easily say that both trips have made a significant impact on my life today. The week spent in February of my sophomore year building an elementary school consisted of long hours lifting heavy bricks and mixing cement by hand in the hot, shadeless building site with about twenty-five classmates. Additionally, we all participated in recess with the children at lunch. After taking part on this service trip, I discovered my passion for helping others in need and immediately jumped at the chance to go on a second trip my junior year and even recruited other classmates to join. The children in both Guatemala and Panama inspired me to always focus on the positive aspects of life instead of dwelling on the negative. They were nothing but appreciative, happy, and caring to all those who came to help build the school. The communities in Guatemala and Panama have a special place in my heart and the bonds that I have created on these School the World trips with the children and communities are unforgettable and irreplaceable. The rainforest of Panama on my second trip was drastically different from the underdeveloped dirt roads of Guatemala, but the impact we made on the community was equally rewarding.