1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. 

In late July and early August of 2023, I went on a BUCK-I-SERVE trip with a group of 16 students to Akokwa, Ghana to volunteer with Hope for Children’s Orphanage through the Akumanyi Foundation. For two weeks, I lived on the site and was able to foster great connections with the children and staff in the volunteer home. We cooked, cleaned, taught, lived and ate and immersed ourselves in Ghanaian Culture. 

2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? 

This experience completely transformed the way that I view the world and the individuals around me. I feel so privileged to be able to travel across the world and experience something unlike ever before. As Ghana is a low socioeconomic country, I was nervous to go to a country that was unlike that of the United States in a lot of ways. To experience the culture and the lifestyle of children living in poverty was both meaningful but also heartbreaking. The children that I encountered however led their lives with so much joy and love and it was honestly the purest form of love, well intentions and kindness I have ever experienced in my life. 

3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? 

One of the most significant contributions made by our volunteer group was raising enough money to rebuild the children’s dining hall. Previously, the children living in the orphanage di did not have a proper place to eat. Food was always a very valuable aspect of my life growing up. In my culture I was always taught to respect, value and share food. It was so heartwarming to see how the children in Ghana felt the same way. The children, even with scarce options, pleaded with the volunteers to share their food with them. Throughout the entirety of the trip the children expressed kindness and love in ways that I could not imagine possible 

In the orphanage and volunteer home, many of the teachers in the school are graduated high school students who are waiting to apply to college or will not apply to college because they do not have the money to attend. I was transformed by the value of education that the teachers in that school place on the value of attending university and the privilege that is education. It made me appreciate the world around me so much more and avoid taking everyday things for granted. 

Additionally, the living conditions of the volunteers including the places that we lived in and the food that we ate, while similar to those of the children living in the orphanage, was not the exact same. There was no air conditioning, only home cooked food, and bumpy cramped vans, however the living conditions of the volunteers were much better than the children in the orphanage. Coming back to the states, I have nothing but appreciation for the world around me. In addition, I also have so much love for the way of life in Ghana. I have gained such a positive outlook on how different cultures celebrate each other and how at the end of the day, we are all just humans trying to survive and make a difference in the world. 

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.

I will continue to reflect on the experiences that I gained in Ghana for the rest of my life. The value of going to another country to experience how another group of people conduct their lives is utterly and invaluable experience. I learned that people’s perception of countries such as Ghana as “ridden with poverty” is unhealthy as it does not allow them to see past the low socioeconomic parts of the country. Instead, it is only if you visit the country you can see the beauty, value and rich culture of the country and the continent of Africa as a whole. This trip has just made me want to work hard and use every resource available to me to give back to communities in poverty someday. 

1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed. 

I volunteered at the Hope for Orphans Children’s home in Ghana through the Akumanyi Foundation. For two weeks, students from Ohio State lived, ate, worked, and played with children in the orphanage and adjacent school. In addition, we were able to learn about Ghanaian culture, education systems, and politics through educational excursions and daily interaction with staff on site.

2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place. 

During this trip, I was confronted with feelings of guilt about the nature of volunteer work abroad and with children. To be totally immersed in an experience means I got as many opportunities to learn about Ghanaian culture as possible. At the same time, I was able to develop strong bonds with the children and staff at the orphanage and school. This allowed me to recognize privileges I had that I never consciously thought of. It’s evident that I received a lot from this experience in terms of education and self-growth but when I look at the whole of my volunteer experience, I wonder if the children I worked with got the same level of benefit as I. Every participant, myself included, gave as much love and joy to the kids as we could but I often asked myself if making those deep connections was helping as much as it was hurting because while the connections were genuine, we were only able to strongly maintain them for the two weeks we were there. 

This experience made me rethink my ideas of sustainable volunteering. In our last week we were able to start a tangible project that involved creating a multipurpose space for everyone at the children’s home. This experience gave me a very clear example on how volunteering can easily become just an ego boost. While we, as volunteers, may have felt really good about the connections we were making, we may not have left the children feeling the same way once we departed. This is why it is incredibly important to create a lasting impact when you volunteer. You don’t have to build a house or a school to create sustainable change. It could be educating others or raising funds but in all these aforementioned examples you are leaving something behind even when you are not physically there. This experience highlighted that need and redefined what “helpful” volunteering is.

3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation. 

The interactions that had the greatest impact on me were the day to day ones with the children and staff at the children’s home and school. The kids especially would say how much they love us and will miss us and we got asked quite often if we will come back. Within two weeks they were very attached to us which made it even more pertinent to me that we had to leave behind something tangible. Otherwise, we would be coming into these kids’ lives, helping make them feel loved and appreciated, and then removing those feelings from them the minute we left. By starting a project in our time there, there is at least a constant reminder to the kids about our time together which helps soften our leaving and gives benefit to them when we’re not there.

Many of the other participants felt similar feelings and we often discussed these points as a group. We realized that while we were presently in the children’s home we may be having a positive impact but were unsure if that would continue once we left. If we had not had a physical project we left behind, we may have been hurting more than helping by leaving behind feelings of abandonment.

Regardless of whatever lingering feelings of guilt I may have, it’s an important reminder to myself that helping create a multi-purpose room is not an act for me to assuage my feelings but is to improve the quality of life for everyone at the children’s home and school. This experience was a learning point for me about volunteering and how to approach volunteering. While volunteering can make a volunteer feel good, that is not the main goal. The point is to assist where you can assist and to do so humbly and by letting the community have control of what is being done.

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans

The most direct and immediate way this change is valuable in my life comes from the fact that I plan to engage in other volunteer experiences and need to keep in mind how and if my volunteering impact will extend beyond my time there. In a more long term sense, I plan to go into a career in healthcare where I will be treating patients from all different backgrounds. When coming up with potential treatment plans I need to think about the sustainability of that plan for that particular patient. How feasible is it? Can they maintain this without my supervision? This is the side of medicine that is not taught in class or in a textbook and must come from empathy, critical thinking, and experience. Volunteering at a children’s home and working in medicine are not exactly the same thing but the thought process I’ve gained from volunteering will be applicable in my future career. 

Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project

For this STEP project I went through Buck-I-Serv to do a two week service trip in Ghana. I stayed at an orphanage in a remote area of the country where I played with children and helped them in school along with about 16 other volunteers. I learned a great amount about Ghanaian culture and day to day routines.

What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? 

This is a trip that I will never forget and one that has changed my perspective on people, culture, and the world as whole. By being in a country so vastly different from where I live in the United States, I was exposed to seeing how different other peoples’ lives could be from around the world. It made me feel fortunate to have been raised where I was, but also there was so much to learn from the Ghanians. Their sense for family was strong and apparent. Community in this country was like nothing I have ever seen before, everyone working together and helping whenever possible. Also, their general good spirits were infectious. Everyone seemed to be happy even though they understood their struggling situation in the country they live in. 

These traits and more are ones I wish could be further instilled into American ideology. Although America is objectively better off economically than Ghana I’m not quite too sure that the overall happiness is greater within the states. This is most likely because we get too caught up in our own lives at home working our lives away that we forget at the end of the day we are all just striving for this over fantasized feeling of happiness. If there is one thing I’ve learned for sure it’s that sometimes we all just need to take a step back and not take the things we have for granted.

What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?

There were so many different interactions with all sorts of people that influenced this change within me. The group that created a large amount of this perspective shift within me were the kids I was playing with and teaching at the orphanage. Although communicating with them was a struggle due to their lack of proficiency in English, their behavior and joyful mannerisms did all the communicating it needed to. The kids were as innocent and happy as ever. This is what really made me realize that happiness isn’t something that’s relative to where you live or what economic status you have, everyone has the same opportunity for positive energy in their life. The kids didn’t seem concerned with world politics, and quite frankly most seemed quite content with their living situation and the people around them. They weren’t obsessed with all the iPads and technology that we let our kids in America over indulge in, instead they were all joyfully living in the present and taking each day as it comes. It was quite refreshing to see a lifestyle such as this. 

Another group of people that had an impact on me on this trip were the older kids at the orphanage. These kids could almost all speak fluent English which made our interactions much more interesting and informational. I learned all about Ghanaian culture through them, the bad things, the good things, and everything else in between. Just as the younger kids were, these older kids were always happy and constantly making jokes and having fun with one another. However, it was apparent that the kids had a much firmer grasp on the idea of their unfortunate living state and the opportunity for something that exists in the world. They dreamed of coming to America and having a chance at a life where living financially comfortable was possible. Some of these kids weren’t even sure where they would get there next meal or make the little amount of money they needed to scrape by. This is when it really hit home how fortunate I am to have grown up where I did. I understand that I shouldn’t feel guilty for having more comfortability and opportunity than these kids, however it is without a doubt heavy on the heart. It was the true meaning of sometimes life isn’t fair. We should be more mindful of the positive things in our life that we often overlook. 

Lastly, one other group of people that had an impact on me were the other students on my volunteer trip. I had a good feeling before the trip that I was going to be in the minority in terms of gender, but this feeling was verified when I found out that there was only one other male student and about fifteen girls. I knew that differences in perspectives in that sense would be quite interesting to experience which made me even more excited for the trip to begin with. Now that the trip is over, I have to say I learned a great amount from all the other volunteers on the trip. All of the women on the trip were so caring and compassionate towards the children and all others. These are two traits that I feel like sometimes I lack in my life and just by being around the girls on the trip I was able to see these ideals on display. Also, the faculty that were in our group as well were very informative and helpful in almost every situation. They were great leaders and handled every problem with respect and a general sense of calmness. By being around them I also learned more about these leadership qualities that I hope to have more in myself. 

Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?  

I have always been a big proponent of the fact that we all have so much to learn from travel. I have been lucky enough to already have a great amount of travel experience in my life, and I believe that my learning process about the world has only begun. That is why this trip and what I learnt from it means so much to me. Especially from this experience, I was able to be immersed in a culture like I never have been before. It gave me the biggest perspective shift I have ever had from any experience in my life. That is why I will never take the lessons from this trip for granted. Perspective is everything. 

As I continue my travels in my life I will take the spirit of the Ghanaian culture and do my best to spread through word about the infectious happiness they all possess. I have been positively impacted to the fullest extent by this trip and my hope is that others will get the same experience that I had in later groups with Buck-I-Serv to this site.

1. For my STEP Signature Project, I participated in a Buck-I-Serv trip to Ghana and volunteered in an orphanage and school. We lived on site in a volunteer home and our daily activities consisted of chores (cooking & cleaning), as well as teaching lessons in the classroom and spending time with the children. We also had the opportunity to travel to surrounding cities to experience the culture firsthand. 
2. I went on the trip thinking that I was a very grateful person for everything I have been given and everything I have been able to experience so far in my life. However, I think that there is a deeper level of gratitude that can only be achieved once you fully immerse yourself in a situation like the one I experienced in Africa. I realized how many small things I take for granted in my daily life because they seem standard for the lives of everyone around me, but you do not realize their importance until they are no longer standard. I also entered the trip under the notion that the people I would interact with in Ghana are unhappy or desperate because that is how they are portrayed in the media. In America, when you see things about less developed countries, it is oftentimes in the form of sad commercials or articles urging you to donate to “starving” or “helpless” children. This was actually the opposite of what I experienced. I have never met such wholesome, caring, compassionate, kind individuals. I could genuinely talk about these people and experiences for hours on end because they showed me that you make your own happiness. They are aware that their situation is less than ideal, but they do not fixate on it. They never played a “woe is me” card or tried to get me to feel bad for them. Instead, they offered me their snacks to make sure I was fed and gave me infinite hugs. The days were filled with laughter and playing. They showed me that happiness is not contingent on what you physically have, or your situation for that matter. Happiness is based on how you decide to live your life and perceive the things around you. Happiness is based on the relationships you have with others and finding joy in small, everyday things.  

My new view on the world is that life is not fair, and it is truly what you make of it. That in the grand scheme of things, miniscule things do not matter. That there is so much more to life than a schedule, or the media, or physical appearance. That you can learn something from everyone, regardless of their status or situation. Being able to learn about a culture firsthand is a priceless experience, especially when it comes from someone your age who has experienced a completely different life. That just because someone lives differently from you, it does not mean you are better than them or that your way is superior. I realized that I need to stop making assumptions about others because they are rarely accurate, and you truly have no idea what is going on in someone else’s life without them telling you. Because of this project, my meaning of life and perspective has been completely transformed and I feel so grateful to have gotten this opportunity.  

      3. The first situation or event that led to my personal transformation was the living situation that we experienced as a whole. We stayed in a home where we slept in bunk beds and shared one toilet amongst 20 people. We drank water from bags that were oftentimes room temperature and cooked basically every single meal (no restaurants or pre-made items). Driving on their roads felt like riding a roller coaster and we packed in the buses on top of each other. The dishes were done in buckets outside on the dirt, and same with the laundry. We swept the homes and school with a bundle of straw tied together with a strip of plastic. There was no air conditioning inside the home to combat the high temperatures and 99% humidity. Yet, our living conditions were still better than most people who truly live there. I felt extremely grateful for the ice-cold shower I was able to take before going to bed each night and was able to gain appreciation for things that I overlook in my everyday life. Privileges that I did not even realize were privileges.  

The interactions I had and relationships I formed with not only the people in the orphanage but also the other volunteers were major contributors to my life changing experience. I feel lucky to have been able to meet and converse with such amazing people who opened my eyes and allowed me to see life through someone else’s perspective. The children filled my heart each and every day with love and made me feel like nothing else in the world mattered other than spending time with them. We spent a lot of time with the teachers at the school, who were actually my age. Because they were older and we were able to communicate with less of a barrier, I was able to develop deeper connections with them and I learned about their education system, in addition to how they view America and the politics of their own country. Everyone I met showed me so much love and true caring. They were selfless and I now try to model myself after what I learned from them. I also was able to develop relationships with other OSU volunteers and made connections that I can continue to foster back at school. I am grateful for this trip because it allowed me to develop so many new relationships, I would not have been able to otherwise.  

The third event or activity that I felt had such a great impact on me was our tour of the slave castle. I think that it is difficult to fully comprehend atrocities just from reading about it but being on-site floods you with a new set of emotions. We went down into the dungeons where the slaves were held and I dripped sweat, but then realized that I was there by choice, with water, not hungry, and in a smaller group than the groups who were held there against their will. In those moments I realized that some of my struggles are incomparable to what others experience and I need to complain less. There was a specific part of the tour where the guide told us that women only got the opportunity to bathe before they were going to get raped, and my heart dropped. Everyone went silent. Everything I saw and heard during the tour helped put everything into perspective for me. Furthermore, every experience I had in Africa put things into perspective for me, in a way that I don’t think I would have been able to achieve otherwise.  

     4. I think this project has transformed my entire life and I will continue to pull lessons from it for the rest of my life. I gained a deeper appreciation for life as a whole and I have noticed the change in perspective I have had. I think this trip showed me compassion and care in a new way that I can translate not only to my own relationships, but also my future career of being a healthcare provider. By experiencing a different culture and way of life, I feel more knowledgeable and a more well-rounded person. It has inspired me to think more about privilege and inequalities not only in America compared to other countries, but also within the United States. By sharing my experiences, I think I can challenge stereotypes associated with other countries, as well as bring attention to organizations and situations that could benefit from awareness. I put emphasis on different areas of my life now and value relationships more than ever. The people of Ghana inspired me, and I now want to be the best version of myself for everyone around me. I want to take advantage of all the luxuries in my life and spread positivity to the people around me in the way that they did to me. I now value my education so much more than I did before because I was able to see how hard it is to get to college from their position. I will work even harder than I was before to make sure I achieve all my educational, career, and personal goals because I have opportunities that some could only dream of, and I refuse to waste that.  

As part of CFHI’s Global Health in Ghana: Cape Coast four-week fellowship, I had the opportunity to shadow incredible physicians and observe intense surgical procedures in Paediatrics & NICU and in Surgery at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH). I rotated through these departments, observing the daily activities of a rounding physician, the intricacies of caring for premature infants with congenital disorders, and the demanding yet rewarding nature of being a surgeon. As a tertiary hospital, CCTH oversees the care and treatment of patients from all communities & backgrounds. The faculty and staff at CCTH were beyond welcoming—they were encouraging, instructive, and dedicated to their service. I was also empowered to get involved in Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights community outreach initiatives with the PPAG Cape Coast Clinic 🩺🏥Giving presentations at local schools about reusable sanitary pads and reproductive health as part of these initiatives was one of my favorite outreach opportunities. 

Prior to my time at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, I knew that I wanted to pursue medicine as a career but lacked a detailed understanding of physician life. Watching the pediatricians at CCTH care for both their tiny patients and their families gave me a newfound appreciation for the specialty. It takes a special kind of person to be able to first understand what ails a child—who often cannot communicate their pain clearly—and then clearly, simply explain that to a parent who may have zero prior knowledge of the disease pathology, human anatomy, or current prognosis. I had often said to my friends in passing that I would never become a pediatrician because I would not be able to handle seeing children in so much pain. Now, I find myself drawn to pediatrics because I believe my strong communication skills, ability to explain complex topics simply, and affinity for working with children are well-suited to the work. 

I was not expecting to be met with such a warm, welcoming spirit upon my arrival in Ghana. The culture in Ghana is so different from the United States’ cold, individualistic atmosphere. People greeted me as I walked by, local merchants directed me to commendable restaurants and shops, and the neighbor families near our student residential compound made friends with us. In addition, I had never traveled out of the country completely alone before this trip. Traveling to Africa for the first time pushed me out of my comfort zone as I could no longer rely on familiarity of the country or presence of family to keep me safe, on time, and in the right place. I have become such an independent person, and also even more outgoing and friendly than I was before! 

As I began considering what I’d like to do for my STEP Signature Project, I knew I wanted to travel abroad. However, I wasn’t looking to study abroad because I have very specific course credit requirements for my Neuroscience major and for my pre-MSTP (combined MD-PhD program) track. When I found out about the CFHI Global Health in Ghana, my heart became set on pursuing this public health and medicine service-learning project. To afford the trip, I had to apply for more scholarships.  

I began working ten times as diligently as before in all of my classes, threw myself into my research projects, and spent time working as a biology lab TA and as a clinical and kitchen volunteer in Columbus. My experiences, hard work, and merit would show on paper, but I needed to be able to write about my “why”—why I want to travel, why I want to do this program, and why I need the funding. Through countless hours of introspective journaling, scholarship essay revision, and internal monologuing at the gym, I was able to write the most heartfelt, determined scholarship essay I have ever penned. I applied for the CFHI Thomas Hall Scholarship. Then, the wait began.  

In the meantime, I worked on myself mentally and physically. I know that the brain believes whatever it is told—and so I told myself that I am the person that I had been hoping to be by next year. I motivated myself to put in the work to understand every possible concept there was to learn in my classes. I worked hard in the gym to become stronger through weightlifting and more agile through kickboxing, a self-defense measure as a teenage girl who would soon be traveling alone. I became comfortable with the uncomfortable, whether it was standing long hours teaching lab or studying when all my friends were out having fun. And then one night during spring break, as my mom and I were falling asleep after a long day exploring Charleston, North Carolina, I received an email congratulating me as the recipient of the CFHI Thomas Hall Scholarship. 

Fast forward to my journey to Ghana. On every flight I took, I became the designated luggage-lifter for any elders who struggled stowing their carry-ons. I took taxis and rickshaws to work and around the city, both alone and with my program friends, confident in my ability to run or fight if in any danger. Standing for hours upon hours in the operating room was doable, not unbearable. I was comfortable walking around the hot, humid, non-air conditioned hospital for rounds. Beyond academics, surpassing grades and numbers and points—it was the work I did to better myself as a person that empowered me to become so much more self-sufficient, open-minded, and free-spirited. 

Many of the physicians I met also made their marks on my heart. My friend Dr. Vincent from the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana Cape Coast Clinic always emphasized the importance, as an OB/GYN, of caring for women and empowering them to make informed choices about their health. The urology consultants I shadowed in surgery, Dr. Amoabeng and Dr. Maison, always talked me through the procedure I was observing, asked me to ask them any question I could dream of, and taught me about the anatomy and the pathology of each condition as though I was one of the medical students from University of Cape Coast. On rounds in the Paediatrics ward, the resident doctors Edwina, Reuben, Gifti, and Gideon translated the case management conversations from Twi (local language) to English for me, taught me conversational Twi, and shared their goals, plans, and dreams with me. I never felt like I was just a shadow—I was always made to feel like an important part of the teaching hospital ecosystem. All of these amazing professionals have inspired me to walk as they walk and do as they do. To be open, thorough, compassionate, approachable, informed, and fortitudinous is what I now strive for in all ways. 

I am forever humbled to have experienced such a transformative month of learning, growth, and exploration. I was able to pair my love for public speaking and reproductive justice to contribute to the groundbreaking, community-based work that is already being spearheaded by Ghanaian organizations.

Through my experiences in Cape Coast, I have gained not only an unparalleled understanding of clinical case management, preventative medicine, and public health & social advocacy efforts, but also the dearest friends and mentors who inspire me to be just as dedicated as they are throughout my (many, many, many more) years of education and service. As I continue working towards my goal of becoming a clinician-scientist through medical and graduate school, I feel so informed and optimistic about my path, and how much it suits my dreams.  

And, on top of it all—I made the time to travel around the country and enjoy all the natural wonder of Ghana️. From hiking an hour to swim in the thundering Wli Waterfall of the Volta region, to exploring the vibrant cityscape of Accra by taxi and by foot, every Ghanaian journey of mine has secured its place as a fond, dear memory in my heart.
None of this would have been possible without the STEP program which funded my travel expenses almost entirely—thank you all for having so much faith in me! I will always be grateful for the unforgettable and irreplaceable memories, lessons, adventures, and people that this program brought into my life. 

My STEP Signature Project was a Buck-I-Serv trip to Ghana to support a local orphanage’s daily tasks. We helped teach the kids various school subjects, cleaned the buildings, and supported the chefs while making meals. In addition, we also helped raise money to repair the dining hall.
Completing the project vastly changed my perception of the world and myself. Being in a place without the amenities in America made me cognizant of the things I took for granted. Furthermore, I also see how different cultures perceive each other more clearly. Finally, this trip threw me into the deep end when it comes to socialization, a skill I was sorely lacking beforehand.
When we arrived at the site, I became acutely aware of what kind of amenities they did not have. There was no AC, the water was received from the local river, and the roads were barely paved. Most Americans would see these conditions as inhospitable, but for all the people living in the area, these conditions were a fact of life. Living near the orphanage made me quickly get used to these conditions as well, and I learned just how many things in our lives in America we have taken for granted.
The trip to Ghana was Buck-I-Serv’s first trip to the country in years, and many of the kids at the orphanage have not seen non-Africans before. While all the kids were fascinated by our group, I noticed that all of them took particular notice of me, since I am visibly East Asian. Talking to them about my race made it clear that both of us were unfamiliar with each other’s culture. They would refer to me as “China,” and were surprised when I explained to them that I consider myself an American. It never really occurred to me before that while we may not be familiar with other’s culture’s customs, the reverse could also be true.
Finally, I never had to collaborate and communicate as much as I did before the project. We would constantly delegate tasks, support one another, and take up others’ roles. We became close, and I now know I can rely on them back in the States. Additionally, I would talk with the kids, listen to their stories, and play their games, all things that I never had to work on before. Talking with them gave me a critical insight into their culture, vastly broadening my worldview.
These experiences throughout my service trip are undoubtedly valuable for my ability to grow in the future. My experience with the Ghanaian culture brought new perspectives, and I will be able to be more aware of how others live, and how to respond as such appropriately. Furthermore, I continued to develop my social skills and made new relationships with my fellow cohorts, expanding my network. In the end, my Buck-I-Serv Trip through STEP has brought me new perspectives and resources that I could not have gotten without this opportunity.

1. For my STEP project, I went on a service trip to Ghana, Africa. I stayed at an orphanage where I helped with daily chores and in the classroom teaching. Additionally, I got to learn more about the culture of Ghana.
2. Growing up, everyone’s parents always told them that there are hungry kids in Africa as a way to get us to eat our food. This engrained one of the many stereotypes of African culture into all of our minds. Going into this service trip, I tried to keep an open mind but deep down, I had some expectations. I expected to get to our service site and see all of these malnourished, depressed kids. What I experienced was something that nothing could have prepared me for. From the moment that we showed up to the moment that we left, we were met with the most caring, selfless people. The children did not feel one ounce of sorry for themselves and I never saw them be anything but happy. Everyone was so genuinely happy to be in the presence of the others and it was truly inspiring. I look back at some of the things I would get upset about and find embarrassment in those moments. How could I be so ungrateful while these people that we deem as having less than us are nothing but joyful? In the future, I have a newfound gratefulness for those around me and the blessings that I have.
3. There were countless interactions that left me speechless. I kept a blog of each day on my phone to be sure that I would not forget anything. First, I would like to highlight the importance of music in African culture. I remember waking up on some of the days and I could hear the children singing songs of worship. I couldn’t help but smile because of how joyful and together they became through music.

   Next, I would like to highlight the selflessness of the amazing people I was lucky enough to meet. Every morning, we had chores to complete. The children would quickly finish theirs and try to do ours for us. They saw us as their guest and did not want us to do work. Additionally, the children gifted us with bracelets and necklaces. Without a surplus of money, they were willing to spend what they had on us. They even offered us their food.

   Finally, I would like to discuss the relationships that I formed. The children were very well behaved and craved physical affection. I quickly became close with some of the children and we were inseparable the time I was there. The older kids were able to have some more meaningful conversations with us about their hopes and dreams. It’s hard to hear someone talk about their dream life and have it be your life that you complain about. Through these relationships and conversations, I have found a more grateful mindset about my life journey.

   4.Overall, this trip changed my mindset on a lot of things. First and foremost, I am more grateful for my life and education. I value my family more because of the way they treated me as their family. In the future, this trip has made me want to pursue more service related opportunities and just overall help others more. I think this is an experience everyone needs to have. I now look at things that I or someone else has complained about before and see it as a blessing.