As a senior at Goshen College, I find myself evaluating my experience on many different levels. In doing so, I can say that there are three aspects of my education at Goshen that I find particularly valuable, and I also realized that all three of these were enhanced by my role in the delegation to El Salvador. My international experience, the relationships with my professors, and the commitment to issues that extend beyond the Goshen College campus are those things that have proven invaluable to me.

Going into El Salvador, I knew that I wanted to talk to coffee growers about their lives and their work, but at the same time... I didn't want to.

Anytime I approach someone who speaks another language, there is of course apprehension. Will they understand me? And more importantly, will I understand them? Will they be offended by my questions or my broken Spanish? Or by my inability to understand? These were the things going through my mind as we trudged up steep paths, video and sound equipment in hand. But just as we were about to begin the interview, I realized I had a wealth of experience to draw on. My education at Goshen College had already taken me on SST, to Cuba. Though it had been a while since I conversed with anyone in Spanish, the words started flowing as soon I began to speak, and I was so thankful that my previous experiences at the college had prepared me in this way to bridge a cultural gap between myself and a Salvadoran coffee grower.

Our time in El Salvador was also an excellent opportunity to grow in my relationship with my professor and with other people in our group. Part of being in community is more than just the everyday interactions that come with proximity. It's knowing what the people around you care about, what they value, what they excel at, what they think is funny. While we may get to this place with many of our friends and peers, I feel fortunate to have had the time in El Salvador to also get to know these things about my professor.

Finally, it's the commitment to issues that extend beyond the campus that was perhaps the most pertinent during our trip. I would venture to say that it's nearly impossible to study at Goshen without coming away with a better understanding of the way our actions as individuals, as a community and as a nation affect the rest of the world. It is quite possible to live in the United States and never think twice about how the coffee you drink ended up on the store shelf, or where your clothes were made, or where your food was grown.

As part of the delegation to El Salvador, I was granted a deeper look into the complex relationships that are the realities of international trade. The realities of debt for Salvadoran cooperative owners, of poverty for many families, the way the income for growers dwindles as the number of hands through which coffee passes on the trade route to the U.S. grows. Now, based on this new understanding, which is further enhanced by the other two invaluable elements of my time at Goshen, I feel prepared to make choices that contribute to a greater cause. And knowing that the effects of my actions have global impact regardless, working towards making positive ripples.

(Anna traveled to El Salvador as a reporter and assistant videographer)