Anna Messer

Guatemala and Cuba Cross Cultural Spring 2016 Our group of 20 students and two leaders studied and lived in the city of Guatemala for the first 7 weeks. We studied intensive Spanish with CASAS (Central American Study and Service), a cross-cultural language program in Guatemala. Following intensive Spanish study, we traveled independently in small groups in the region and learned to navigate transportation, Spanish language, and the highlands and countrysides of Guatemala. Afterwards, we spent two weeks interning with service organizations in small groups. The last three weeks we spent in Cuba. We stayed in Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Havana and participated in various cultural and educational events. We compared the cultures, history, and socio-economic realities of Guatemala and Cuba. We reflected on our learning and experiences as a group and individual journalism.