Students find history and inspiration in alternative spring break trip to El Salvador
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When Molly Hetz ’11 first volunteered in the rural village of Guarjila in northern El Salvador as a high school student, she immediately connected with the people and knew she needed to return.
“What first struck me about the community in Guarjila was how compassionate and accepting the people were,” said Hetz, a sociology/anthropology major. “They showed me a different model for community, one in which all people are accepted and involved regardless of their physical or mental abilities.”
In the years since, Hetz has made five more trips to El Salvador, building a working relationship with the Tamarindo group, an organization that was founded after a civil war ended there in 1992. The organization’s mission is to build a better future for people living in Guarjila through initiatives such as health clinics, micro-business development programs to discourage families from emigrating, and educational and recreational programs for youth.
Hetz’s commitment to El Salvador and her indelible experiences there over the years inspired her to bring friends to the Tamarindo group to share what she has come to care about so deeply. This spring, she organized an alternative spring break trip to send a delegation of Lewis & Clark students to El Salvador to participate in the work of the Tamarindo group and to learn about El Salvador’s tumultuous history firsthand.
“The Tamarindo community is engaged in countless community service programs and runs a 24-hour safe house for community members,” Hetz said. “It has been a dream of mine to bring Lewis & Clark students to Guarjila. My goal for the trip was to expose more people to Guarjila so that the two communities could begin to establish a relationship.”
Angelica Pulido-Westlake ’13 helped organize the trip after visiting Guarjila with Hetz last summer. Pulido-Westlake said she was opened to a world she had never experienced before, calling the trip a “living classroom.”
“The Tamarindo community in Guarjila has shown me what it means for a post-war, Third-World community to struggle for and successfully obtain means of self-improvement,” Pulido-Westlake wrote about her experience. “The mixture of joy, tragedy, peace, violence, militancy, activism, and love that makes up El Salvador is one of the most powerful representations of a people I have ever encountered.”
In addition to Hetz and Pulido-Westlake, 10 other students made the journey: Emily Cousins ’12, Jonas Fahnestock ’14, Dale Forrister ’14, Amy Huang ’13, Jessica Lodal ’11, Tracy Marvin ’13, Mia McLaughlin ’14, Kaylin Preston ’14, Lucy Roberts ’14, and Rachel Wolf ’12.
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Tamarindo Executive Director John Guiliano helped us to understand the past violence in El Salvador, but to also see hope for the future. John educated us in the importance of human dignity, the force of love, and that the civil war in El Salvador is a small piece of a much larger story. From this experience I feel that I have not only grown as a person, but that I now have the tools and knowledge to evaluate similar issues in the world.—Tracy Martin ’13 -
This trip was definitely one of the best experiences of my life because I was learning a lot and having so much fun at the same time. One of the most memorable moments was the evening we all went to camp out by the river with the Tamarindos. The moonlight was shining beautifully on the river, and many people were playing and chatting by the river. I got to know Owen, a 17 year old, better. We sat down by the river and talked about our families, friends, hobbies, what we want to do in the future, and many other things. We talked in Spanish the whole time! How amazing is that?—Amy Huang ’13 -
While the trip carried a vast array of emotions for everyone, we fit lots of childish play in with the Tamarindo Youth Group. Kids ranging from 2-19 surrounded us Gringos every chance they had, and we began to form some great relationships and remember what it’s like to just goof around. The trip was a catalyst for community-based development and activism in my life. I hope to take all the things I learned, felt, and struggled through back home with me and create a lasting effect in this town of Guarjila.—Lucy Roberts ’14 -
This trip has meant a lot to me. It has been full of new people, new perspectives and powerful emotions. While not always easy or comfortable it has been incredibly valuable to question the motives and impact of U.S foreign policy. This experience will continue to impact the way I view the world and hopefully the way I live my life.—Jessica Lodal ’11 -
The experience I had there is something that is both immeasurable and irreplaceable. Living and working with the people of Guarjila lends itself to intense cultural exchange in the most welcoming environment one could ask for. Being able to experience such a rich and unique culture is something I will never forget, and hearing the past from the mouths of the people who lived it is something we cannot lose.—Emily Cousins ’12
The spring break program that Hetz organized was supported by the Center for Career and Community Engagement, which provides grants for student-directed trips focused on social justice issues and other topics selected by students. Students interested in leading programs during fall or spring break apply for competitive grants and, if selected, develop alternative break experiences in collaboration with staff from the Center for Career and Community Engagement.
The Student-Directed Alternative Break Program is just one of the many ways the center helps students become innovative leaders and citizens of the world. The center works with students throughout their time at Lewis & Clark to help them discover their goals and interests, connect to opportunities in the community that enrich their academic experience, and prepare for successful lives beyond college.
Learn more about how the center supports students in these two recent news stories:
