Meet Rhaysa Feliciano, a second year veterinary student in Tuskegee University. Originally from Puerto Rico, she has been in the USA since September 2011. She hopes to make a difference by taking care of animals, one creature at a time.

Why do you want to volunteer abroad?

I want to be able to help the community of Nicaragua. One would not think that spays and neuters help humans but they do! By controlling the overpopulation of animals we also help prevent human disease and even animal attacks. This opportunity not only will allow me to provide help to the community I will also gain valuable experience in surgery that in turn will help in my career in school and when I graduate as well.

Why should people donate to your campaign?

People should donate to my campaign because sadly I do not process the funds to pay for the trip myself. I am in school with the help of student loans and work-study and my funds are very limited. Any amount helps! Even a dollar is useful towards my trip.

How will this experience impact you as a person?

I have never been to South America and this experience will open my eyes to a different culture. I wish to gain some insight into the problems outside of the USA with animal overpopulation and health. Also, knowing that I’m helping people will give me the confidence and the drive to want to do more. With this trip I want to start “giving forward” throughout the rest of my life. It will also help me in my education since I will be performing surgeries in my 3rd year of school and I want to be prepared for the task. When I graduate schooling and this tremendous experience will help make me the best veterinarian I can be.

What are you looking forward to in this trip?

I’m looking forward to learning and soaking in as much as I can. I also want to learn about the culture in Nicaragua and its people. I want to touch as many lives as I can. Sometimes when we think about animals we tend to forget that there is always someone behind that furry face that benefits from them.

Check out Rhaysa’s fundraising campaign here and don’t forget to donate to her page!

Let’s meet one of our fundraisers, Brandon Desiderio of Pennsylvania, through this Q and A session with FundMyTravel.

What was your inspiration in taking up Journalism?

I’ve been writing since I was six or seven. Like most kids, I wanted to be the next great novelist for a while – then a mixture of reality and rethinking of that objective made me change course. I kept asking myself, “Why do you REALLY want to write?” And I   realized that it wasn’t about the fame, or the fortune, or the 60,000-word format.; rather, it was about my desire to create… and to create critically, importantly – for the benefit of others.

What are you looking forward to most about this experience?

Being immersed in a whole different culture. I’ve been abroad once before, to San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala, for one week last spring. It was an inspiring and eye-opening experience, and reignited my passion to live and work abroad one day. When I heard about this program in Jerusalem, it instantly clicked – through my studies I had been learning more and more about the Arab Spring conflict in the Middle East, and as editor-in-chief of my college’s newspaper, I’ve covered aspects of the ongoing conflict and plan to cover it more. Jerusalem would bring countless other opportunities to continue this passion, particularly alongside professional journalists who’ve been covering the Middle East for years.

What preparations are you making for this trip?

Lots! The biggest issue I’m faced with, unsurprisingly, is securing funding. I’ve applied for several grants and scholarships, and continue to seek out other avenues of funding as I discover them. Luckily people have been very receptive and supportive, particularly family friends and even my professors, all of whom have donated themselves to my FundMyTravel campaign! It’s very humbling and gratifying to know that such great, caring people are around me. It’s so easy to forget that.

What do you think are the benefits of studying abroad in Jerusalem?

I’d be underestimating this opportunity by reducing it down to the idea that it’s a current concern, that Israel-Palestine relations and Israel-Arab relations overall have been tense, and this tension portrays the critical nature of keeping up-to-date with the area and recognizing that its struggles are ours, that even Israel-Iran conflicts hit home. But I say that’s an underestimation given the historical, cultural, spiritual, and religious importance of Jerusalem. It’s such a rich area, with so much to offer, that it’s not fitting to boil it down just to a journalistic analysis of its politicized nature. There’s so much to it. I’d be willing to argue, though, that everyone should study abroad in an area as significant as Jerusalem – or at least pay a visit and stay outside of the comfort of a three- or four-star hotel. When we go abroad, we Americans think of vacationing. But opportunities like these, areas like these, offer so much more than tourist amenities and sightseeing. It’s time we revisit this truth.

Let’s help bring Brandon attend the Journalism class he is taking in Jerusalem through his FundMyTravel campaign here.

Happy New Year everyone!

Let’s begin 2013 by getting to know one of our fundraisers – Jonathan Boyden – who is in the process of raising funds for his trip to Florence, Italy.

Discover how passionate he is with Italian culture and what drives him to pursue his dream to study in this lovely Italian city.

•   How will study abroad affect you as a person?

I believe that studying abroad will force me to learn more about myself. Initially, I expect the new environment to rattle me in such a way that it causes me to take note of how I operate as a person in order to blend in my new surroundings. Learning even more specific qualities about myself will enrich the way I can contribute to the world, because I will have an even stronger awareness of myself. I also strongly believe that studying in Florence will shine light on things I take for granted in America. I don’t know what those things are or possibly will be, but I am extremely excited to find out what they are. I love working with people, and living life with people in a completely different setting will sharpen my interpersonal skills. It will increase my versatility in interacting with people across many cultural contexts.

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David Cawton always had that knack of traveling and exploring cultures abroad. He studied two years ago in Italy, Greece and Turkey. This time, he’s flying over to France for another round of study abroad adventure!

Let’s get to know David better:

 1. What made you choose Paris as your study abroad destination?

I am going to Paris for two reasons.  The first is because I need to finish my foreign language credits.  The best place to learn a new language is the country of origin!  I can go to Paris for a month, receive six credit hours and actually use the language I’m learning in everyday situations.  The second reason is just for the experience.  This is the last time for a while that I will have an opportunity to travel and it mean something.  Paris is a unique place, due to it’s relation to the rest of France. Like all major capitals, Paris has been called a foreign city in a French country.  It’s very diverse and is a snap shot of contemporary Europe.

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