When my mom first told me about School of the World during my sophomore year at Riverdale Country School, I knew immediately I wanted to participate. She had met Kate at a Forbes 50 Over 50 conference and knew I’d love it. Despite traveling with my family before, I was definitely tentative to go on a trip without knowing anyone.
Before joining the trip, I had to confront the challenge of fundraising. At first, I struggled crafting the right message to send to friends and family. But, after ensuring the messaging had the proper tone and clearly explained my goals, I was able to successfully raise money to participate in the trip and support the program.
My biggest worry wasn’t the fundraising, though—it was traveling alone. This worry quickly faded as I met the School the World staff and other students during our pre-trip meetings. Their kindness eased my nerves before leaving for Panama.
I traveled to Panama in late March during my spring break. Although I’d been studying Spanish for several years, I’d never been immersed in a fully Spanish-speaking community, and I questioned my ability to communicate with the community members. I quickly learnt that language, while important, wasn’t the only means of communication.
During my first days in Panama, I found that simple actions could bridge the gap. Smiling at kids as they played, greeting community members with warmth, all created a sense of connection. My Spanish wasn’t perfect, but laughter, eye contact, and being genuine proved more powerful than my words.
This led me to an important question about the nature of humans: Are people living across the globe really that different? Could I go anywhere in the world, not know the language, and still connect with people just through smiling and genuine interaction? I still believe the answer to be yes.
The physical work–carrying buckets, making concrete–proved to be harder than I’d expected, but witnessing the smiles on the kids’ faces made every sore muscle worth it. As I poured each bucket of concrete, I truly felt like I was genuinely making an impact and helping the world grow closer to stopping a fundamental problem: access to education.
The accommodations were also eye-opening. The tap water was undrinkable, which was new for me. At first, I was a bit apprehensive, but I quickly adjusted and ended up loving the whole experience. It showed me a different way of living.
One moment during my trip stands out above all others. On my first day, I wore a bright pink soccer shirt with the number seven on the back. A boy came up to me and said, “Siete, Ronaldo!” Four days later, on our last day, that same boy—his name was Moses—came up to me with a little pink paper bag with a number seven on it. Inside were a few trinkets and a heartwarming note of gratitude. That simple exchange captured everything: genuine connection across cultures and the joy of being seen and remembered.
The work of School the World was so inspiring to me that I wanted to continue supporting their efforts through a summer internship. During that summer, I was able to help plan trips to Guatemala and Honduras. I discovered multiple School the World programs I was unaware of-–the tutoring projects, lessons for parents and kids, and teacher training. School of the World doesn’t just build and leave; they stay for five years, creating lasting impact. The year following my internship, I returned to Panama with two of my close friends.
My experiences with School of the World completely shaped what I plan to study in university. I’m now excited to be heading to Vanderbilt to major in Latin American Studies with a minor in Legal Studies.
What struck me most was seeing the power of working together across cultures—volunteers collaborating with local workers and connecting with kids. Together, we were more powerful than we would have been separately. That realization has guided my thinking and future aspirations.
I’d never been in an environment where education wasn’t a priority, especially for girls. That was striking. I truly believe that education is the way out of poverty—it’s the School of the World’s mission, and it’s become important to me too. I feel fortunate to have had access to a great education growing up, and now I hope to help others gain access to better opportunities.
In my college essay, I wrote about School the World’s core belief that education is an important pathway out of poverty and the power of transnational connections.
If you’re thinking about going on a School of the World trip, just do it. Yes, you might be apprehensive about traveling without knowing anyone, about the language barrier, or about the physical work. I was nervous about all of those things, too.
But by not letting fears stop me, I discovered my capabilities. I connected with people despite the language barrier, completed hard manual labor, felt pride in what we built together, and made lasting friendships.
The experience is unlike any other– You’ll meet people from different backgrounds, see a different part of the world, and genuinely help people. You may even find direction for your future studies and career, just like I did.
Gabrielle Arron participated in School of the World trips to Panama in 2024 and 2025. She will be attending Vanderbilt University in fall 2026, where she plans to study Latin American Studies with a minor in Legal Studies.