Mike: "Going Home"

First off, I cannot wait to visit my native home! I only lived in Miami for a couple of years but the thought of returning truly excites me given my new-found appreciation for a warm climate and, as always, a diverse people.

With respect to the civic engagement that will be occurring with the Latino population in Miami, I am interested to see how my skills that I have developed from my service-learning courses will transition towards a different demographic of people. In light of my interest, I will also enjoy utilizing my native language of Spanish, which I have not completely used in awhile, but still feel confident with regards to my linguistic immersion in the culture. I believe that the most trouble I will run into will be with remembering certain words, which, in actuality, is a good problem to have given that we are there to listen, not so much as to speak.

While part of the motto of Duke Engage is to change your world, what I aspire to leave is nothing less than an imprint of hope. I seek to have the students I assist hope to be able to pave a path that is their own, with respect to their own culture in a society which inhabits a competition second to none with regards to successful career paths. I believe that this goal can be attained simply through the manner in which I carry myself, as a Latino, which can translate through many different facets of community engagement.

However, more importantly I also aim to simply have a great time in Miami. I can already see myself thirsting for the worlds that await behind each closed door, because I know that each person I meet will inevitably influence the time I have in Miami. Lastly, it can go unspoken, that I will indefinitely be trying many of Miami’s fine cuisines while having fun under the sun!