I first got connected with Students International back in 2012. I was in fourth grade at the time and was next door neighbors with one of the ministry’s board members, who we were close family friends with. That summer, their family went down to serve with SI in Nicaragua for a while and my parents decided we were going to go on a short-term team to visit them.

My mom, younger sister, and I served in their education site that week and I absolutely loved it. It was the perfect site for someone of my age at the time, as play isn’t hindered by language barriers. Between the ministry site, getting to experience a little bit of the Nicaraguan culture, and learning more about Students International itself, I was in awe that entire week, and for long after! I distinctly remember running around the base at night, playing games with SI’s summer staff, and thinking that it would be amazing to do something like that when I grew up.

Little did I know then, but I would get that opportunity eight years later! After graduating high school in 2020, I flew to the DR to be a part of their Global Bridge program. I completed two years of that, and then came back for a year and a half of different internships through SI. God kept opening doors and calling me back, and now I’m living in Santiago, Dominican Republic as Students International’s media site leader! One of Students International’s slogans is “Short-term missions, long-term impact” and this couldn’t be more true! It’s been a long road, but the life I currently have here in the DR started as a fourth grader coming on a simple short-term trip with SI thirteen years ago!