 I had no idea what to expect before I went to Peru. The experiences were amazing. I learned a lot about myself. Language is not a barrier to knowing people. The people in Peru are so welcoming and so loving. Don't be afraid of being away. Their world opened and they were so, so appreciative. This program got started when we applied for a grant from the federal government to extend and enrich our connections with the IHM Sister Schools in Peru. When I went abroad and found out just how awesome these people are, like very outgoing, very loving, very excited to get to know you. I was there greeting, you know, Buenos Dias, Cuomo Estash, you know, how are you? And he just looked at me and he said, I'm very honored that my daughter can learn English from a native English speaker and I'm very grateful that you are here. Everything is celebrated there. So they celebrated our arrival when I first walked in. There was a Peru, you know, I'm sitting on my desk and that was just a welcome gift and that's just how they are. They're very giving people. I've always wanted to be a teacher because I feel that teachers have a huge impact for children. I know it did for me. I knew like since I was about four years old that I wanted to be a teacher, but I went through other like majors and ideas before actually coming to the realization that I was meant to teach. When we went to Peru, my junior year, I was like, wow, I want to teach kids for the rest of my life. One student, she was the youngest in the group, 19 years old. She matured quite frankly in front of our eyes. After coming from Peru and actually like gaining much more confidence and coming back, I can do anything. Probably one of my favorite experiences was Machu Picchu by far. This ancient city, this religious city that's still standing, it's just, I was speechless. Being in Machu Picchu is something about the atmosphere, like I felt so at peace. I think it's critical for any student who graduates in the United States to have a more profound understanding of what it means to be a citizen in a global world. Probably out of all the countries that I've traveled to, the most welcoming people are in Peru. You need to go and my main thing is you just have to get out and see the world. The Global Perspectives in Education program will change your life.