Before leaving the Academia Menonita Betania we went on a short hike led by Eileen up a steep road leading into the hills which overlook the school and although it was a tiring walk, it was well worth it; from the top we could see the rolling hills and beautiful landscape. We also met a … Keep reading »
Puerto Rican Identities in Puerto Rico
2023 - Led by Terry Martin, assistant professor of Spanish
Día de servicio en la escuela en las montañas (Day of service at the school in the mountains)
Today started off slow with a morning of rest while listening to students show up to their last day of school. A cute graduation sign in the grass by the basketball court along with kids and teachers alike, helped to celebrate the end to a good year. Once all the festivities, food, and celebrating were … Keep reading »
Pasando el Día con Los Escolares de Academia Menonita Betania, Baloncesto, y Familias Anfitrionas / Spending the Day with students at Academia Menonita Betania, Basketball, and Host Families
Our day started with gathering around the pavilion near the basketball courts greeted by Antonio R. Zayas, who is the director of La Academia Menonita Betania. We all separated off into our designated groups determined by different grade levels we signed up for ranging from pre-k all the way up to escuela superior (high school). … Keep reading »
The travel day from Old San Juan to Aibonito
After an impressive and educational week in old San Juan, today was the big travel day to Aibonito. Various locals from San Juan informed the students in advance that a whole new experience would be waiting for them. We started the day with the sun already shining on the horizon. After cleaning and tidying our … Keep reading »
Catching Up with a GC Alum in PR
After taking advantage of an exploration day on Sunday, we started off Monday morning by meeting a Goshen College alumni, Hermann Bauer. Our group learned that he had lived most of his life in Aibonito, Puerto Rico (which we will visit in the next couple of days). After graduating Goshen College in 1995, he decided to … Keep reading »
First Days in San Juan
Puerto Rico (PR) SST 2023 started with a long day at the airport — 23 of us sitting and waiting anxiously for the plane to start boarding. I, for one, was growing impatient and just wanted to go home and have my family recount stories of Puerto Rico’s history and culture, not knowing just how … Keep reading »
Arriving in San Juan
After arriving in San Juan late Wednesday night, May 3, we jumped right in the next day with a visit to La Fortaleza. Originally built as a defensive fortress, it was quickly replaced with the Castillo San Felipe del Morro as the primary defense of the city. We learned that La Fortaleza was built inside … Keep reading »