I am very passionate about helping others achieve equal opportunities in education and in life through community service and volunteer work. I find it very important to broaden my horizons, especially in today's day and age as the world continues to grow in diversity. Understanding cultures and ways of life through this trip will help me to do so. Our ultimate goal in Interact is to be able to help children in foreign countries by providing our services to help with projects that will benefit their growth and learning. Last year's trip was to Peru where Interact built a small library for the community. Not only will this trip to Panama provide help to children in need, but it will also be very culturally enriching. I feel my personal growth and experience through this service will help me to gain another sense of understanding through serving others.

About this year's trip:
We will take part in a tour through the town of Penonome and a walk through the nearby forest to experience the environment and culture. We will further experience Panama's culture by taking part in Panamanian hat-making, jewelry-making, body art, weaving, cooking, folk dancing, and conversational Spanish lessons. As our service, we will take part in projects such as building bookshelves, furniture, courtyards, playground equipment, or painting educational murals.