Events leading up to Chile

We began our official Duke Engage program with the unenviable task of taking our required shots for visiting Chile. For a lot of us, it was the first time we had to take multiple shots in one day. We came out victorious in the end, but that’s not to say that more than a couple of us had tears in our eyes when we felt the sharp tip of the syringe pierce through our skin.

Over the next couple of months, we began meeting as a group and having powerpoint presentations, family dinners, and workshops to get better acquainted with the environment that we’ll be working with in Chile. It was evident, at first, that we weren’t a cohesive group because we were shy around each other and still not trusting of one another. As the meetings progressed, however, our chatty and energetic sides quickly emerged. We were beginning to mold ourselves into a group of high-character individuals with a lot of interesting and unique ideas.

Duke Engage Academy was the culminating point of our pre-Chile experience. The program facilitators led discussions such as the ethics of service and we also participated in workshops varying from getting tax-exempt status if one is establishing a non-profit to how to use our cameras correctly while abroad. What was most memorable for our group about Duke Engage Academy was how we well we were clicking as a group. It was visible when we had a discussion with all the international groups that we were the most motivated because we were chanting loudly and involving ourselves in every talk. We even had a couple more easy-going moments like when Laura Hart was frightened by a squirrel during our video blogs. After making sure that she was ok, the whole group joined her in laughter over the humor of the situation. Our group is very excited about getting to Chile and contributing in every way possible to help out others. Chile is so close!

¡Hola a todos!

Hello to everyone! First of all, thank you for taking the time to read about our experiences in Chile. Our posts will vary from our work with our respective NGO's, to our travels around Santiago and Chile, and even touch upon our personal thoughts and feelings about the trip.

First of all, my name is Julio C Ramirez and I am a rising junior at Duke. I’m an Economics and Spanish double-major and this summer I’ll be working with Accion Emprendedora. I’m excited about the trip because I plan to do business one day and I know I’ll be learning useful tactics to help me out in the future. I’m also intrigued to learn from the alumni of AE and to see how they’ve progressed with their businesses and to meet the new micro entrepreneurs that we will be teaching. I enjoy traveling and that makes me excited about traversing Santiago and Chile and getting to know the country better. I’m also curious to see how Chilean (in terms of clothing and language) I’ll become and how I’ll be able to adapt to a new country. I’m Latino but I’ve never traveled to South America so I can’t wait to expand my knowledge about my people. In addition, Duke Engage participants will be doing a home stay in different areas around Santiago. There are a total of 7 participants going on this trip. The other six are Christine Contreras (senior), Laura Hart (senior), Eduardo Leal (junior), Jon Salzman (Junior), Callie Berkowitz (junior), and Sofi Becerra (sophomore). We will also meet Antonio Arce, our director, and Marlen Joquera, our on-ground coordinator. Jon and Laura will be working with La Comunidad while the rest of us will be with Accíon Emprendedora. I'm excited about living in Santiago Centro, which is essentially downtown Santiago.

Stay tuned to learn about our upcoming work and experiences!

Leaving for Chile

Hello everyone! I will be leaving for Santiago on Friday, May 21. Who can tell me why this is such an important day in Chile? :) Un abrazo,

Antonio