Sarah Greig is a recent graduate of the Social Service Worker program at Niagara College. During her time at Niagara College, she participated in international field study experiences in both Philadelphia and Honduras. Read her reflection from her time in Honduras to see how her experience abroad has helped her become “World Ready”!
Sarah Greig
In travelling to Honduras, I learned many new things. Prior to coming on this trip, I lived in South Africa, so going places internationally was a challenge for me, rather this trip to Honduras allowed me to refresh my memory of the challenges that people face in other countries. We went into local villages each day and were given the opportunity to hear the stories of the struggles that the locals have faced for many generations.
Many of the stories were heartbreaking but hopeful at the same time. This is because although they have faced a multitude of difficulties in life, they have never given up hope, and each little improvement has meant the world to them.
This attitude is one that I will bring home with me as I believe that having faith, gratefulness, and hope will be the key to success in my future career.
When I work in my field as a Social Service Worker it can often become discouraging as I will see many people that are stuck in situations that seem impossible to overcome, similarly to those that we met on this trip, but now, when I meet with these people I will have a restored hope as even the slightest improvement can make a world of difference in a person’s life.
A few key things that stuck out to me during this trip that helped me better understand Honduras, were hearing from both guest speakers who have risen out of poverty and people in the villages who were still in poverty. Hearing from both of these demographics showed me how incredibly difficult it is to escape poverty and it also showed me the drive and passion that every single person we spoke to has. This is a quality that I believe Canada is lacking.
Additionally, seeing the joy and contentment in the children from these communities showed me that children really are our future. I believe that we must educate and equip our children so that they may do greater things than we have been able to do. This is something that I believe is already occurring in Honduras and it makes me hopeful for their future there.
Finally, the last thing that I discovered was not about Honduras, but it was about myself.
I discovered that my passion to work with children as a teacher runs very deep inside of me. When we went to a school for the day, it was as if I was right at home in the environment. Children seem to draw near when I am around and I have great care and compassion for them. As a result of this knowledge, I now know that teaching is something that I will certainly pursue.
Overall, this was an incredible trip and an incredible experience that has forever changed me and how I view the world around me. Everything that I saw, heard, and experienced will influence how I act and behave moving forward, as I believe that it had a profound impact on me as a whole.
This essay has been slightly edited for flow, clarity, and grammar.
