Help Erick Travel and Learn During His Gap-Year!

Erick Torres-Gonzalez Start Date: Nov 21, 2022 - End Date: Jan 21, 2023
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Study/Degree Abroad
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina

My Travel Story

by: Erick Torres-Gonzalez Start Date: Nov 21, 2022 - End Date: Jan 21, 2023
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Study/Degree Abroad
Hello! My name is Erick Torres-Gonzalez, and I’m a rising senior at Harvard College from Milwaukee, WI. Before starting at Harvard, I have always been interested in the arts, with a great emphasis on film, photography, and dance. Arriving at Harvard, I re-founded the college’s Mexican Ballet Folklorico dance group and served as my fashion publication’s co-president until my current gap-year in May of 2023. I fell in love with the arts and have made it a goal to continue exploring and expanding my knowledge on the different art forms around the world.

That’s where studying abroad comes in! As a first-generation low-income college student, I only had vague ideas of what studying abroad could look like for me. During my freshman year of college, I was accepted into a Venice, Italy study abroad program for Summer of 2019. Unfortunately, amidst the pandemic, I was unable to consider studying abroad until my junior year, which I wanted to spend on-campus after so many years of being away from friends. Now, I have decided to take a gap-year and have been accepted into an intensive month-long study abroad experience in Buenos Aires, Argentina to  study up on Tango and how it has shaped the tradition, culture, and identity of Argentina. I was most excited about the program because it will allow me to expand my dance knowledge where I hope to bring it back to campus. This program will allow me to experience an immersive learning environment that I have dreamed of since I started college. The program would be through the Council On International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and here is the link if you’d like to read up more on the program as well: 
https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/college-study-abroad/programs/argentina/buenos-aires/january-buenos-aires

Unfortunately, the study abroad program did not offer me a single dollar in financial aid. My family and I were not prepared for this, as I receive large amounts of financial aid from Harvard. On top of helping out with bills and unexpected medical expenses, we will not be able to afford the entire amount necessary for me to study abroad in Argentina. 

If you could lend any support, even just a dollar, I would greatly appreciate it. The chance to go abroad and learn about Argentina and its languages, cultures, politics, and people outside of my Wisconsin bubble will make an extraordinary difference in my education. Thank you for your support!
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina

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