Student
Student life

2018 will be my year because… I will go to Ecuador for volunteering

The time around the new year is a moment in which many look to the future. Resource asked several students and staff members why 2018 is going to be their year. Frank van Rossum tells of his plans abroad.
Liza van Kapel

Frank van Rossum, bachelor’s student of Economics and Policy

‘In January, I will leave for Quito, Ecuador, to teach at a school that is run by nuns. A friend I met during my Erasmus exchange in Finland had done this, and his stories really enthused me. I’m leaving for Ecuador for the same reason I went to Finland: I want to submerge in a different culture and environment, increase my flexibility and get used to new customs. I did not get to do that when I was in Finland due to the “Erasmus bubble” I was in, but I hope I will be able to achieve it this time.

Beside this experience, my primary reason to go is because I want to contribute to my surroundings: I could have gone packing as a tourist, but in doing so, I would remain in another bubble, one in which i would mainly consume. I will join a local project that fights indirect child labour, something I find really awesome. Besides, I always wanted to learn a Romance language. It was really boring at school, but I finally see the added value: it helps to understand the world and can offer advantages in life and in a carreer later on.

Terrifying

In a way, my approaching departure terrifies me, especially because I will teach Spanish and really want to do that properly. Nevertheless, I trust everything will be fine. I think this is a personal trait of mine: no matter how much I pressure myself, I always remain positive.

In the free time in between teaching, I would like to read several economic and philophical classics. They should give me a even more critical view on my field and put it in a broader context. And I would obviously like to see as much of Ecuador as possible in my free time: it is an incredibly diverse country, in which I want to fully submerge.’

In this series:

Leave a Reply


You must be logged in to write a comment.