Since seventh grade, I have actively been learning the Spanish language. Once I reached high school, I began to grow a love for the Spanish-speaking country, Colombia. I love their food, listening to Colombian music, their history, its landscape, telenovelas, and the overall beauty found within the country. Needless to say, for years, I’ve been wanting to travel to Colombia. Not only to gain fluency and to explore the country, but to pursue my honors thesis. The amount of times I have switched my major at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) is mind-blowing, but something that has always remained constant in my field of studies is my passion for humane immigration reform in the United States. 

In the summer of 2017, I spent a week volunteering at La Casa Alitas in Tucson, Arizona, a hospitality center for immigrants, with my youth group. A typical day went from nine in the morning to three in the afternoon. One day, however, I was able to go back after supper with a few other group members. When we arrived, three Guatemalan families were there, all of whom barely spoke English and needed help filling out paperwork and contacting family members in the United States. Another day, I heard a loud pounding on the front door, and discovered an individual (which my group and I believed to be an Immigration Customs and Enforcement officer) standing in the entrance. Without a word, he turned away, leaving a destitute mother and her two sons in his place. In their hands were garbage bags, containing their few possessions. On their wrists were identification bracelets. On their feet were laceless shoes, to make walking more difficult for them. These were a few of the many eye-opening experiences I had at La Casa Alitas. Such experiences set the foundation for my desire to act as an advocate for migrants and to create a social consciousness surrounding immigration. I am forever thankful for my time spent at La Casa Alitas. 

With my desire to go to Colombia and my experiences regarding immigration in Tucson in mind, I (initially) wanted my honors thesis to consist of research regarding Colombia’s response to the Venezuelan refugee crisis (most of which was completed last semester), as well as field work in Colombia, which I would conduct while studying abroad. Due to COVID-19, my program in Colombia has been cancelled. Upon hearing this, my heart was absolutely broken. I have spent years dreaming about going to Colombia, and in a day, they had been shattered. Nonetheless, as Kurt Vonnegut says, “so it goes.” Stuff happens, and life goes on. As opposed to focusing on my disappointment, I decided to divert my attention to what I can do as an alternative. Thus, since studying abroad was no longer an option, an internship would be more plausible. I decided to fill out a volunteer application at Ascentria Care Alliance in Worcester, MA, and noted that I would love to hear more information about interning. After meeting with the lovely woman that will be guiding my volunteer work in December, she put me in contact with an attorney from their Immigration Legal Assistance Program (ILAP). I sent my resume over, and was able to participate in an online interview. One thing led to another, and I was able to secure a remote intern position at ILAP. Some of the things I will be doing is translating, interpreting, and filling out legal documents. At the end of the day, though I am unable to go to Colombia, I am still able to work with migrants and accomplish some of the goals that I wanted to while abroad. 

In all, now is a difficult time to go abroad. Many have probably (and are going to) experience the same disappointment that I faced regarding the cancellation of my program. If this happens, I advise those affected to try to find other local opportunities in place of going abroad, whether it be interning, volunteering, or engaging with one’s community at large. Now is a difficult time, but focusing on the positives and what we can do has proved to help me greatly.