WILLOW SCHRAM Student Returnee Stories

adopting ecotourism as a way to promote and preserve their culture while protecting the Amazon rainforest. My classmates and I spent one day helping a local man clear a field with machetes in order to prepare it for planting. We learned how to fish with barbasco, a root that temporarily paralyzes fish so that they float downstream and are easy to catch. We picked and crushed leaves that contain natural dye and made tapestries. We carved arrowheads out of wood that we gathered, and picked seeds and made jewelry from them.

We learned about the Wachiperi culture through song and dance that the elders of the tribe performed, and helped them prepare meals that incorporated plantain, yuca, varieties of potatoes, and local fruits and fish.

Question 2

What was your favorite meal and where was it located?

My favorite meal was Ají de Gallina, a traditional Peruvian dish that my host mom made. It is chicken in creamy pepper (ají) sauce served with potatoes and hard boiled egg. It is really good, and my host mom sent me home with the recipe so I could make it back in the states!

Question 3

What was the most important life lesson you can attribute to your abroad experience?

The most important lesson I took away from my (cont.)

Cuzco, Peru

Program:

Class:

Neuroscience SIT: Indigenous Peoples & Globalization

2016

Minor:

Major:

Location:

Spanish

Question 1

What was the most influential place you traveled during your abroad experience and why?

The most influential place that I traveled was a part of the Amazon just outside of the region of Cusco. I spent 10 days living with an indigenous tribe, the Wachiperi, who are (cont.)

experience was adaptability and independence. There were many times where I was forced to step outside of my comfort zone, but each experience taught me something valuable and helped me to grow. During my independent field research, I was dropped off in a remote town in the Andes and didn't know anyone. The native language in the village was Quechua, and I was aware that people noticed me and were talking about me but I had no idea what they were saying. Despite the fact that I felt incredibly alone and unsure of myself, I ended up making friends by engaging with and expressing an interest in the community. I volunteered at a foster home, got to visit many bilingual schools in extremely poor and rural areas (I was studying Intercultural Bilingual Education), and formed meaningful relationships.

Question 4

What piece of advice would you give to a first-year student deciding whether or not to go abroad?

you don't find one that seems like a fit, you can petition to have another program added. I had an incredible experience in Peru, and made many great friends through my program. I also met and made friends from Peru, and really enjoyed learning more about the country and culture from them. As cheesy as this sounds, studying abroad is the opportunity of a lifetime and DEFINITELY worth it!

Question 5

If you could go abroad again, what would you change about your experience?

Honestly, there is nothing I would change. I had a wonderful experience. Things didn't always turn out the way that I anticipated, but each adventure was worthwhile and made my time abroad very meaningful. One piece of advice I have is to interact with the host community as much as possible. It is easier, and oftentimes more comfortable, to stay at home, or limit yourself to time spent with other students from the program. Of course it is great to get along with your classmates, but take advantage of everything that you won't have when you return home such as a chance to gain a deeper understanding of a different culture, language, and people.

Question 6

What was your favorite class abroad?

Favorite class: Quechua - we learned how to speak Quechua in order to better communicate with our host families when we stayed on Taquile Island on Lake Titicaca. It gave me a greater perspective of Peruvian culture and the diversity of the country. There are many indigenous groups in Peru, and Quechua is a language that is so widely spoken that it is now recognized as an official language.

These student stories are brought to you by the Off-Campus Studies Office

at the College of Wooster.