AMHS STUDENT LEARNING EXPERIENCE IN GUATEMALA
By Senior Emily Leiker
On February 16th, 11 students and 2 teachers from Archbishop Murphy High School traveled to Guatemala for a service learning trip. Over the six-day experience, they visited three different schools, learned about Guatemalan culture, and heard countless stories from the people they were helping.
The group from AMHS performed service at three different Guatemalan Schools through a group called Avivara. At each one, they painted playgrounds, classrooms, or murals to bring new color to the campuses. At one of the elementary schools, Cerro Nino, which translates to “Hill Child”, the AMHS students had a chance to interact with the kids, shadowing them throughout their school day and playing games with them.
Hannah Lukomski, a senior at AMHS, said one of the most impactful moments of the trip was when the group was paired with students from the high school Acatenago to go home and have lunch with. “I was paired with a student named Maria. I was able to literally walk a mile in her shoes as we traveled together from her school to her home. It was very eye-opening,” she said about Maria, who came from a humble home and large family. The two bonded over their desire for higher education. Maria hopes to attend a university in Guatemala City to become a doctor, and Hannah has recently been accepted into the University of Washington.
Besides performing service, the group was also able to explore the cities of Antigua and San Cristobal. They hiked the Volcano Pacaya, and took a walking tour of San Cristobal, where they were able to make guacamole, tortillas, clay sculptures, and pick coffee beans.
“Traveling to Guatemala gave me a heightened sense of gratitude for the amount of privilege I’ve been lucky enough to experience in my life. Even though the people there are impoverished they have an admirable sense of national pride, respect for each other, and enthusiasm for life,” said Hannah.
A new group of Archbishop Murphy students will return to Guatemala next February.
