{"id":11670,"date":"2011-08-29T15:10:12","date_gmt":"2011-08-29T20:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=11670"},"modified":"2011-09-14T16:50:07","modified_gmt":"2011-09-14T21:50:07","slug":"trip-abroad-brings-knowledge-and-life-experience-for-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2011\/08\/trip-abroad-brings-knowledge-and-life-experience-for-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Trip abroad brings knowledge and life experience for students"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Stephanie

Stephanie Della Smirra shares the love with some children in Ecuador.<\/p><\/div>\n

Stephanie Della Smirra will never forget the intimate, revealing and life-altering conversation she had with some of the poorest women in Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador.<\/p>\n

\u201cI explained to them in broken Spanish why I was in Ecuador and about my life in Canada,\u201d said Della Smirra. \u201cThey shared with me their stores and some of the struggles they have gone through. I was overwhelmed by the joy and passion for life that these people had despite the obstacles they faced.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Health Sciences student, about to enter her fourth year, is a veteran participant in Solidarity Experiences Abroad<\/a> (SEA), a program that offers opportunities to explore social justice, culture and spirituality in developing countries. The Faith and Life Centre<\/a> (formerly Campus Ministries) offers the non-denominational program. More than Brock 1,000 students have participated since the trips were formed in 2004.<\/p>\n

Faculty, staff, alumni and students from Brock\u2019s Med Plus program and Nursing program also may participate.<\/p>\n

In her Welland high school, Della Smirra was convinced that she wanted to pursue a career in pharmaceuticals. After trips to Peru and Ecuador with SEA, her focus shifted to global health, with a goal to specialize in tropical and infectious diseases. Ideally she would like to work for a non-government organization in developing countries.<\/p>\n

Sarah Brill-Morgan is the program assistant for SEA. She has completed four years of her Health Sciences program and is taking a few more courses this year to prepare for a career in naturopathy with a focus in counselling.<\/p>\n

Like Della Smirra, Brill-Morgan has been on three SEA excursions. Both women returned from their volunteer trips with a new global view and the awareness of the trivial nature of many \u201cfirst world\u201d problems.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really appreciate what I have, and I don\u2019t take it for granted,\u201d said Della Smirra. \u201cIt\u2019s clear that we don\u2019t need material things to be truly happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

SEA participants are involved in a variety of work placements, including daycares and schools, health-care facilities, community health campaigns such as dental instruction, and construction\/ecologic projects. Many start with construction and then move to other areas.<\/p>\n

Brill-Morgan worked with a gynecologist, performed several ultrasounds and witnessed appointments.<\/p>\n

Although the day starts with a Christian prayer, participation is optional. Religion permeates cultural activities because many of the countries are deeply Roman Catholic.<\/p>\n

Volunteers return to their retreat at the end of the work day. In their private times, they often play soccer or write in their journals. There\u2019s usually a cultural experience in the evening, such as a visit to the market or local musical entertainment.<\/p>\n

Language courses are offered during the two weeks, and participants have the opportunity to see a different part of the country on a three- to four-day trip.<\/p>\n

The two-week programs to Peru, Ecuador and Brazil cost about $2,800. The four-week program costs about $4,900. There\u2019s also a trip to South Africa offered. Prices are all inclusive, covering airfare, accommodation, meals, transportation, and insurance.<\/p>\n

Fundraising opportunities are available.<\/p>\n

Information sessions for 2012 trips will take place at the end of September or early October.<\/p>\n

\"Stephanie

Stephanie Della Smirra gives a hug in Ecuador.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Solidarity Experiences Abroad is holding information sessions about its next round of trips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11672,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,1],"tags":[28,100,280,281,34],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11670"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11670"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11986,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11670\/revisions\/11986"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}