Just Do It

Today's topic was international development. But what exactly does this mean to today's college student? Does it mean that one party (country, non-governmental organization, or person) works to reduce the poverty of another; to build capacity so that they have meaningful choices later on; or to improve the quality of life? Yes, to all of the above.

We heard Abigail's and A.B.'s experiences during their year abroad. One went to Peru to teach English and to build green eco-latrines; the other went to Spain and used their English language skills by working at a youth hostel. What they had in common was that both were open to stretching themselves - leaving the comfort of what they knew to experience the unknown with people very different than they. This may sound a bit scary, especially when one is most likely several time zones away from home and gone for a long time. But thats not what they talked about. They said that the biggest benefit was interacting with others, sharing what they had and learning from the local community. They stressed that we all have alot to give and encouraged us to 'just do it'.