Peru trip teaches community, culture

Not everyone can say they performed community service in a small village and visited one of the New Seven Wonders of the World on their spring break, but a group of students from the Penn State Beaver and Shenango campuses did just that.

Twelve students from Beaver, six from Shenango and three chaperones flew to Cusco, Peru, where they spent a night to give them time to acclimate to the altitude - 11,152 feet above sea level compared to around 1,223 feet in Pittsburgh - and then they moved on to the village of Misminay.

In Misminay the group stayed in the homes of the villagers, said Debra Seidenstricker, chaperone and admissions counselor at Penn State Beaver. Life in the small, rural village is much simpler than students are used to - the homes are not heated and bathrooms are outside - but "the students adapted well. They loved the experience," Seidenstricker said.

For some students, the trip was their first time traveling internationally.

Frank Lews, a second-year business marketing and management major from Beaver campus, described the trip as a "once-in-a-lifetime experience."

"This was my first time traveling internationally, and it was such an amazing experience," said Emma Cataldi, a third-year student studying human development and family studies at Penn State Shenango. "It was honestly a little nerve-wracking at first, but being with a group of Penn State students made it so much more comfortable. We were all experiencing everything together for the first time, which made it really special and helped us build strong connections quickly."

Tenni Onilogbo, a second-year engineering major at Beaver, said she had been to countries in Europe and Africa, but not South America.

"I love Peru. It wasn't like anything I have ever experienced. I got to be a country and city girl, and I loved it so much," she said. "The people, the food and the views were all amazing."

While in the village, the students engaged in community service helping to paint a school and tend to a community garden. The group also had the chance to experience day-to-day work and activities in Misminay including plowing a field with oxen and watching community members create textiles from making and dyeing wool to weaving the final product.

"I cried when we left this community," Seidenstricker said. "It was just amazing."

Onilogbo said she enjoyed learning first-hand about the people of Misminay.

"I've witnessed how each member of the family contributes to their community. It wasn't anything like what I was used to whether it was waking up at 5 every morning to the roosters or having tea with almost every meal, even when it's hot out," she said. "I loved it all … it just makes me want to know what every place is like."

From Misminay the group traveled to Agua Caliente to visit Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

"Machu Picchu was the most exciting experience for me while in Peru. Seeing one of the world's seven wonders is a chance not everyone gets," said Johanna Fiorenza, a fourth-year health policy administration major at Shenango. "The archeological site was so fascinating to look at and to hear about the stories and theories of how it was built. The mountain ranges on top of Machu Picchu were unreal. The pictures do not do justice to how amazing the view of Machu Picchu really is."

Lewis said he learned a great deal from the trip, in particular that the evidence of the intricacy of the architecture suggests Inca tribes of South America ruled for hundreds of years - many more than documented. "There would be no way they could have built what they did in the short time they were said to be in power," he said.

"Overall, this experience was truly unforgettable," Cataldi said. "It pushed me out of my comfort zone, helped me grow as a person and allowed me to meet so many great people. I made friendships that I know will last beyond this trip, and I gained a new appreciation for travel and cultural experiences. I would highly recommend something like this to other students," Cataldi said.

-Tenni Onilogbo , Penn State Beaver student