What I’m about to say shocks many people, but I honestly feel like my experience in service-learning while at UMass has been much more profound than my experience abroad. I know, it’s crazy because going abroad is supposed to be this life-altering experience, and everyone is supposed to come back from Spain with a deep yearning to return and sparkles in their eyes. However, that isn’t really the case for me. I have found my niche through volunteering in both an after-school program and a classroom in Holyoke. I have made connections with students and teachers that will certainly last a lifetime and will never be forgotten. I think my experiences with the youth in Holyoke have been so profound because I truly feel comfortable and like I belong there. I go into my classroom, and every student knows my name and wants my help. The feeling of being needed by other individuals is really strange at first, but then you realize that this feeling of need can foster symbiotic relationships with the children that you work with, where the individual is learning so much for you and you are learning so much from the individual. It makes your heart flutter, and you finally realize you have found your calling.

I definitely think that my experiences in Holyoke link with my broader education at UMass both in my major and, of course, in my minor in Education. More than anything, I feel like my major has helped me become more culturally aware, especially when it comes to language. I have focused much of my time on learning about different Caribbean dialects, and I can now recognize many of the features when my students speak Spanish in the classroom. There are many negative attitudes surrounding Spanish use in schools, especially in a city like Holyoke where the common dialect is highly stigmatized. With the experience that I have gained in service learning along with many things that I have learned in my major, I hope to use the tools that I have acquired to suppress these negative attitudes in my future classroom and foster an environment that respects everyone’s language.

My experience in service learning certainly relates to my future career. Not only am I going to be a better teacher because of my time in Holyoke, I will also be a better person all around. It honestly has changed me. I will never look at public education and teaching the same, and although there are many problems with our educational system in the United States currently, my experience with my mentor teacher has given me hope that there are educators who still believe that each student has the potential to be great. My Spanish major and my experiences with service-learning have truly allowed me to see my future career much clearer.