Haley Clemson, Winchester MA
This February, I went on my second trip to Guatemala with School the World. I first decided to go on one of the trips after hearing about it through a friend, and soon after asked my parents if I could get involved. One of the biggest reasons that School the World appealed to me is their continued effort to help encourage education in the community even after the school is done. Our work and School the World leave a lasting impact.
I expected to make an impact on the community when I traveled with STW, but what I didn’t expect was the impact that the trip would have on me. It's funny how everything is "the norm" until it is put into context and a new perspective is given. I experienced this greater context of the world first hand this February with my second service trip with School the World.
While I have gotten back into the swing of things at home, I have not lost one of the biggest lessons of the trip: that we are so fortunate to have the opportunities for a good education that we do.
I am a senior this year at Winchester High School and I have spent my last year endlessly stressing about college. At this point, I am trying to decide where to go out of the schools that I have gotten into and it is consuming most of my thoughts. You worry that you are going to choose the wrong school and it will ruin your chances of having a good college experience or one that does not lead you to a career, when in reality, chances are you will find a way to be happy wherever you end up. This made me think about my time on the service trip, where I met so many amazing kids that could have such bright futures if given an education and an opportunity to move forwards. I took what people have been telling me about how I will be happy anywhere and I thought about how lucky I am to be able to get a college education anywhere. In other words, I believe that my experience with School the World has helped me get a perspective on the rest of the world outside of what is my comfortable “norm”.
The impact that these service trips have on us students translates to our everyday life and the experience will be carried with us for the rest of our lives. I know that I am constantly reminded, through my education as well as daily life, how lucky I am.
