Who am I?

Hey hey 🙂 My name is Caroline, nice to ‘meet’ you! I am an American seventeen year old girl who was born and mostly raised in Africa. For as long as I can remember traveling has been a huge part of who I am because of how present it has been in my life. I love exploring and learning about new places and cultures but above everything else I love a good challenge. When it comes to defining myself, I do believe that actions speak louder than words like Thomas Jefferson said: “Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” Based on my actions I would say that my desire for being challenged defines me. For example, despite not speaking Spanish and already being able to graduate from high school as a homeschooler, I decided to enroll in a public high school when my Family and I moved here in August of 2021. I did this because I wanted to immerse myself in the Local culture and language, but especially because I wanted to see how far I could push myself. I had to work twice as hard as my peers because of the language barrier, but I ended up graduating with academic excellence and recognition from the Puerto Rican Department of Education.

I intend to push myself just as hard over the course of my Gap year to achieve both academic and personal goals. The First thing I plan on doing is completing an online course provided by an organization called ‘Omprakash’ to develop an improved knowledge of socially responsible voluntourism in resource limited communities. I think that this is especially important for me to participate in, having come from a more privileged background. Once I have completed my classes with Omprakash I plan on traveling to the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest to pursue my interest in Latin + Caribbean studies and Environmental sciences. I intend on volunteering at a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center and working with a local family on their reforestation project for three months in Puyo, Ecuador. I will then travel back to Puerto Rico to learn about their rich history as a territory in addition to volunteering with a local coral reef conservation project. Finally, I plan on interning as a tutor in Cusco, Peru with an organization called Maximo Nivel to learn about the Incan civilization pre- and post-colonialism and how modernization is putting a strain on their surviving culture. I expect to be able to explore and get hand-on learning experience that will translate harmoniously into my classes at FSU. Furthermore, I hope to significantly broaden my understanding and perception of Latin America and achieve my personal goal of Spanish fluency!