I had the opportunity to spend the summer in Ecuador and the experience was one that I will never forget. I spent two months working in Quito (the capital) with a group of Stanford students who are now some of my closest friends. We worked with a couple of organizations, helping street-working kids and their families. I also had the chance to work at the Ecuadorian ministry of education as an intern in the science curriculum department. We had very full workdays between the ministry and the kids but found time to travel on the weekends. I got to see all parts of the country: the mountains, the jungles, the beaches, and the cities. Some highlights included climbing a mountain above the city at 15,000 ft, going swimming in the amazon, jumping into a 12-meter waterfall, exploring volcanic caves, and hiking into a volcanic crater-lake. I had some unforgettable adventures and learned so much about myself and about the country and all the people I met. I hope I get to go back to Ecuador and see all of South America when I’m finished with school. But for now I can’t wait to get started with the second half of my time at Stanford!
