Paraguay 2014, Day 15 - Not everything is learned in the classroom

This trip, by far, has been one of my more rewarding experiences in my short, but eventful life. The lessons I have learned and habits I have absorbed will stay with me until I die. The Paraguayan people are the most humble people I have ever encountered. Their unfailing aura of peace and commitment to a greater good has been a daily reminder and inspiration to persevere through adversity with a smile. Whether in the deepest poverty of rural Monte Alto or Dacak villages or the displaced slums of Santa Ana, I was always welcomed with love and the highest level of hospitality available.

In Dacak, my home in Paraguay for the first week, my host family treated me as their own blood, yes, that includes chores and responsibilities. Initially, we began to break the language barrier and talked about ourselves and exchanged stories and aspirations. Once, my host parents and I had an intellectual conversation about our perceptions of the roles of government (as intellectual as my 2nd year level of Spanish would permit).

These experiences altered my perceptions about those with limited education in rural areas like these. It showed me that not everything is learned inside of the classroom and that people, indeed, learn at a higher level of comprehension when they are self-taught or learn from their environment. While, in the city of Asunción I encountered more of what I was expecting in the rural areas, people who only spoke the local language, Guaraní, while taking a census of the affected areas of the recent floods.

All in all, this trip was, to me, eye opening on many levels and in many fields in which I tend to remain oblivious. My goal is to continue this practice of observation and overall awareness. I will be tremendously more observant of the levels of intellect and character of the people with whom I surround myself, and hold them to it.

Zuri, 16, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School