Tenth grade student Alex Taylor was recently interviewed about what it’s like getting ready for the upcoming Service Learning WE/Free the Children trip to Nicaragua. Alex joined LEADPrep after being in a Lake Washington SD choice middle school.
What will your group be doing in Nicaragua?
Alex: We are going to be helping and learning while building a school or maybe something else.
What we will be doing depends on what the groups before us have accomplished. Assuming that the previous groups have not finished building the school we will work on it.
Why do you want to do this?
Alex: I have taken part in two previous WE projects and like what they are about.
I think everyone who is going can say they really like what the WE programs do so we wanted to help out. Of course, it’s not just us helping out, it’s also us wanting to learn and experience what it’s like in Nicaragua , which is super cool.
What do you expect to learn during this trip?
Alex: Primarily, I am interested to learn what it’s like to live in an area that is not as wealthy or developed as Seattle.
Additionally, I am looking forward to the learning that will come from doing projects that help others.
How is your personal fundraising going for the trip?
Alex: I have contacted my family and close family friends and they have been very supportive.
But what makes this type of trip really special is that your family doesn’t need to be super wealthy for you to go. Everyone pitches in, so it’s a lot easier for everyone to go.
What kinds of emotions are you feeling about the Nicaragua trip right now?
Alex: It’s a lot of excitement, and very nervous. I am trying to be relaxed but that’s not going very well.
What type of things are you doing to plan for the trip and how is that going?
Alex: We recently had a Lock-In (overnight planning workshop at school) to learn what it will be like to spend ten days together all the time. I think it went pretty well!
Our Spanish teacher, Nito, came to part of the Lock-In. He taught us salsa dancing and gave us phrase books to help us with our Spanish. We also learned some Nicaraguan cultural norms and songs in Spanish. It was really hands-on learning. It was great.
We are also planning what we each need to pack. We only get to bring a carry on so I have to choose wisely. Clothes, a toothbrush, and maybe a little spending money.
How is your Spanish?
Alex: One of my peers who is also going on the trip suggested we practice Spanish together. We talk for 15 minutes a night and that’s super nice. It really sticks in your brain because we talk right before we go to bed and so when I wake up it’s really IN there. I think it’s been very helpful.
Is there anything specific that you are looking forward to?
Alex: I am really looking forward to meeting all the different kinds of people and learning more about the area we will be visiting.
Living with my peers for more than a week will be crazy! It will probably be weird at first but I am sure we will get used to it and it will make us bond. We will probably need a lot of patience the first couple of days but I am looking forward to it.
I also think it will be awesome to reflect on the beach at the end and learn how my initial thoughts compare to the actual experiences in Nicaragua.
Roots and Wings Auction
Please support our upcoming fundraising auction by personally inviting friends and family to come and enjoy this event!
February 3rd, 6:00, PM,Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church, Kirkland
Registration is easy! Tell your friends!!
