Day 13

This morning our final day began by having breakfast at the Ramada Princess Hotel in Belize, City.  Afterwards, we took the hotel shuttle to Stella Maris to complete our final day with them.  Once we got there, the teachers and students greeted us at a school assembly they were having. There was a lot of singing, clapping, and smiling coming from the teachers and children.  It was great to see all the hugs the Students for Global Communication (SGC) were getting from everyone at this event.  After the school assembly, a few of the SGC students and I walked back upstairs to the resource room where we had sorted out school supplies from two large suit cases to donate to the teachers at Stella Maris school. The teachers quickly took the various materials as their need for basic school supplies became apparent. At the end of our morning we walked around the school saying our final farewells to children and teachers alike.  Many hugs and some tears were shed as we said goodbye.  The SGC students definitely touched the hearts of everyone at Stella Maris especially the children.   


In closing, this has been one of the most life changing educational experiences I have ever been a part of.  Over less than two weeks we explored different areas of Belize, took a tour of a tropical farm, broke bread and cooked with Mayan women, climbed to the top of an ancient Mayan structure, went snorkeling, zip-lining, cave tubing, and finally spent a week working with children and teachers at the Stella Maris School.  It is difficult to put into words how proud I am of the six SGC students who embarked on this adventure with me.  After spending several days exploring Belize and observing the SGC students work with the children and teachers at Stella Maris, I realize that these six SGC students are gifted and truly care about how important it is to make a difference with the children they work with. Thank you Amanda, Gabby, Jossie, Mia, Nancy, Tori, and Peter Li for an incredible study abroad experience.  Peter, thank you for your guidance during the trip and we especially enjoyed getting to know you.  Although our journey has ended, we will always be connected by the times we shared together in Belize.  

Eric Swartz

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