The study abroad adventure was in the Dominican Republic. This trip was a service learning experience, that focused on Agricultural Sustainability and Environmental Resources. The program was an action packed nine days that allowed 16 fellow voyagers and I to fully immerse ourselves in the rural countryside of the DR.

One word comes to mind when thinking about how my view of the world transformed as result of this program—privilege. Prior to this excursion, I had partaken in many privilege workshops at Ohio State. However, these workshops determined privilege between peers at school, peers who were American citizens. By traveling to another country, I saw, first hand, how under privileged another area of the world was in comparison to my home. I saw poor waste management, loose chemical restrictions, and a lack of water treatment availability.

I was blown away by the concept of not having clean water. How could something so accessible be so difficult to utilize? This was one of the most transforming aspects of the trip, for I saw how difficult it was to live in a world with unclean water. The daily struggle, hardships, and inconvenience were visible each day. The experience has stayed with me longer after my return home, and I am still pondering ways that I can contribute to the efforts that are combating this country’s issue.

The interaction that led to my transformation would be the service project that I took part in while abroad. I traveled to La Piedra, a local community that my main guide had created and works with to improve. The project was running 600 feet of pipe from a pre-dug well all throughout the community to provide water for the local people. The work was exhausting, as it required digging a trench with a pick axe in extremely rocky terrain. When I first began working, the local people did not seem interested in helping; however, after just a brief period of watching, many of the people began to pitch in. Before I knew it, the entire community was taking a turn in the strenuous work.

The work and ability to help was tremendously rewarding, yet the local community still treated me in a way that made me feel so welcomed. They prepared a delicious lunch and encouraged me to view some of their forms of entertainment around the community. This made the work even more worthwhile, as I could see the appreciation from their actions. These people were astounding excited about the idea of having running water, and I could not wait to help them finish the project.

Upon completing the well, digging the trenches, and laying the pipe, the last task was to connect the pump to the make-shift transformers that powered the community. Although this task was completed after my departure, I was still able to see photos of the flowing water from the pipes that I assisted in installing. The overwhelming feeling of joy has furthered my transformational experience. Overall, this service project in total is what led to my transformation. I saw the water scarcity issues in the country, and I could aide in fixing the problem for one community. This may have been a small-scale fix, but I believe it has instilled in me a sense of hope that this issue can be resolved soon.

This abroad journey was my first international adventure. Before this trip, I had only considered traveling for vacation, which I believe most people do. Often, I feel as if it is far too easy to get caught up in the idea of deserving a vacation, but going to a new location to complete a service project was eye opening. I saw some of aspects of life, that I take for granted, that are inaccessible in other areas. More importantly, I learned about matters that I can hopefully educate others about to find solutions for the problems.

I believe this transformational experience was very valuable for my life, as I am majoring in Agriscience Education. This degree will allow me to instruct an agricultural based curriculum at the high school level. Along with being an Ag teacher, I will have the opportunity to be an FFA advisor. The National FFA Organization is the largest youth-led organization in the nation. Today, over 600,000 members across the United States, including Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, are working hard to advance our nation’s most valuable industry—agriculture. By having this opportunity to educate youth, I hope to inform them about the issues that lie just outside of our borders. This education will empower students to seek positions that fix or send aide to these areas. Overall, my second-year transformational experience in the Dominican Republic enlightened my career path by providing me with a stronger purpose—a purpose that will lead to a better world.