La Carta Category: Gap Program

February is Gap Year Exploration Month and AMIGOS is proud to support the movement to popularize gap years. Our Gap Program began in 2012 in Nicaragua. Since then, we’ve been able to deepen our connections in countries we work in year-round. And, in 2020 we partnered with Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life to … Read More

Romina is a student in from Maryland who is currently enrolled in our fall Civic Action Gap Semester, an exciting partnership program in collaboration with the Tufts University Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. Romina shares her experiences working with Feeding Texas, learning about voter suppression, and making new friends virtually.   ON VOLUNTEERSHIP: … Read More

Alice is a participant this fall in the Civic Action Gap Semester, an exciting partnership program in collaboration with the Tufts University Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. Coming from Brazil, Alice shares her experiences with her volunteership, Spanish language classes, and getting to know her virtual cohort.   ON THE VOLUNTEERSHIP: I am … Read More

Aidan is a student from Connecticut who joined our first cohort of the Civic Action Gap Semester, an exciting partnership program in collaboration with the Tufts University Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life.  He shared a bit about his experience with AMIGOS, including his final civic engagement project, taking virtual Spanish language classes, and … Read More

Written by Kaylee C. I don’t think I quite thought through the omnipresence of language in everyday life until I faced the language barrier in Ecuador. Even though English is technically my second language, by the time I was 5 it surpassed my level of Chinese proficiency (which on the other hand has only deteriorated … Read More

Written by Helen T. Coming into college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. My university forced me to choose a major, so I declared the most ambiguous: exploratory studies. Although I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to be when I “grew up,” I knew who I was: a quirky open-minded, empathetic, … Read More

Written by Ellen G. My internship is at an organization for people with down syndrome that serves as a school as well as a training and research center. This is my typical day: My internship starts at 8:00 am. Each morning we spend a half hour going through our daily morning introductions. When I walk … Read More

Written by Sydney R. Trips to Feria Libre Market can be quite the sensory overload. It’s unlikely you’ll go even a few minutes without a woman approaching you and asking in a sympathy-inducing, yet business-like, voice, if you’ll buy unos duraznitos or a few chirimoyas. Each vendor touts the girth, freshness, durability, or quantity of … Read More

Written by Luke P. The moment had finally arrived. There we were—Abuelita Carmen, Julian, Emilio, and I—our faces looking out to the empty landing strip of the airport, waiting, waiting, waiting. Excitement had kept me up most the night. It had been over four months since I had seen my family from the States. Would … Read More

Written by Natalie K., a Gap Program Volunteer in Cuenca, Ecuador Life here feels natural, I am comfortably settled into my routine, my internship and my family. When I walk around the city, I no longer feel like a clueless gringa, I feel I know my place and purpose here. I obviously still have moments … Read More