When our plane landed in Nicaragua, each student had their own expectations of what our community development project would entail. We needed to work with limited time and resources to create a sustainable library system at Instituto Diocesano de Monte Tabor and we welcomed the challenge. The students and teachers cheerfully accommodated our team and offered their help along the way. I remember every student’s name (that I met and understood) and the impression they left on me. Their kindness and unique characters were refreshing and although I went to Nicaragua to help them, they helped me even more. Since I've returned to Miami I have made changes to my life to incorporate more community service, send donations to Nicaragua, and spending less money on things that aren't important. I hope the school continues to grow, the students and community deserve it!

My favorite aspect of the Panorama Service expedition was the seamless integration of service work and community involvement. From digging trenches to dancing the bachata at the fiesta, my group was never treated as outsiders, but instead welcomed as brothers and sisters. For my first experience out of the country, I did not know what to expect, but certainly not to build such strong relationships with the community members in such a short amount of time. Work, dance, and play were the common denominators that overcame language barriers and cultural differences. I was particularly inspired by the leadership and work ethic of the women of the Santa Julia Cooperative which has lead me to research women's issues regarding labor and contraceptive use at the University of Tampa.

On July 13, 2015 I boarded a plane bound for Managua, Nicaragua. As part a service learning trip to help the community members of Santa Julia become more sustainable and help change the way they live, I was not sure what to expect, but I knew I wanted to help these poor people. The landscape, weather, and even the smell of the air I Santa Julia was beautiful, but we were there to plant coffee plants that had been wiped out in the drought of 2014. We worked hand in hand and side by side with the community and planted 3, 500 coffee plants on the side on steep mountains in the jungle. This was some of the hardest work I have done, yet the most rewarding. I went to help people in need and was taught so much, about how blessed I am and how important friends, family, and community are. Today my "morning coffee" is a time to be grateful for what I have and how I can do more to help others.