Meet Bruno, a high school senior from Needham, Massachusetts, who traveled to Honduras with School the World in July 2025. In this installment of our World Changer Diaries series, Bruno shares how returning to his mother’s homeland transformed his understanding of community, culture, and what it means to give back.
When my friends Gio and David first told me about a School the World trip to Honduras, I wasn’t sure I’d go. I’d heard about School the World for years—friends had been to Guatemala and Panama—but it never quite grabbed me. Then they mentioned Honduras, and everything changed.
My mom is Honduran, and while I’ve visited family in Tegucigalpa, the capital, many times, I’d never explored other parts of the country. I wanted to see what the smaller communities were like, to understand my culture more deeply. This wasn’t about meeting new people or having an adventure—I wanted to help my community, my country.
Convincing my parents took some work, but eventually, my mom came around. I’m so glad she did. Out of every vacation I’ve ever taken, this trip—which wasn’t even planned as a vacation—was the best experience of my life.
When I first arrived, I was surprised to find I was one of the only fluent Spanish speakers in our group. I didn’t want to stick out too much; my main goal was just to help the community. But on the first day, when the person in charge handed me a microphone to translate, and I mentioned my mom was from Honduras, the students erupted in cheers. That moment set the tone for everything that followed.
Being able to speak Spanish wasn’t just about translation—it was about connection. I could understand what people were saying, ask questions, and really bond with the students and community members. Even though I thought language might create a barrier for others, I watched everyone find ways to connect. During a soccer match near the end of the trip, it started raining, but nobody cared. Everyone was just having fun together, and I didn’t see anyone feeling excluded despite the language differences.
The home visits were especially meaningful to me. Walking into those smaller homes reminded me of my grandpa, who prefers living outside the capital in a more rural setting. As a kid, I never quite understood why, but during these visits, it clicked. These homes were comfortable, full of warmth and life. The families had so little but offered us everything—we made tortillas together, and I even saw a crab and immediately thought of my grandma’s crab soup.
The sense of community blew me away. Everyone knew each other. They’d grown up together, and they considered each other family. I got along with so many of the kids, but some really stuck out. A group of them actually drew a picture of me, and it’s been taped up on my wall at home ever since. I look at it almost every day—it’s a reminder of the connections we made and how much that experience meant to me. I still keep in touch with several students on WhatsApp, including Moises and Carlos.
What struck me most was how they think about their futures. Here in Massachusetts, after high school, people often lose touch with the kids they grew up with. But in Honduras, when someone gets a scholarship or an opportunity, they remember everyone from their community—because they’re family. They’re so welcoming, so connected.
I planned to do a lot of construction, though I didn’t pack enough clothes for how dirty I’d get. Every day, I chose to pick up cement bags, shovel, and work on the playground. I made sure not to do too much painting—sitting around just talking felt boring compared to spending time with the workers, understanding what they do every day. I was amazed by how long some of them had been doing this work and how dedicated they were.
One of the most memorable moments was near the end of the trip. During a break, I carried cement with Gio and David, and some of the kids we’d gotten to know walked up to us. We’d always pick them up, put them on our shoulders or backs, and just take these little breaks from working to connect. Those simple moments—covered in dust, kids laughing on our backs—felt like what the trip was really about.
Growing up in Needham is very different from growing up in rural Honduras. As a young kid visiting Ecuador and Honduras, I’d be surrounded by people in smaller communities who were more grateful, who had fewer opportunities. I didn’t fully understand that when I was little, but I understand it now. I’m more grateful for those trips, especially since I used to go almost every summer and would sometimes get tired of traveling. Now I want those trips more than ever—they’re a reminder of how much I have.
If you’re thinking about going on a School the World trip at all, if you want to understand your background or see how different another culture is—just go. No second thought. It’s 100% worth it. I wasn’t sure if I was going to go, and now I think about how much I would have hated myself if I’d missed this opportunity. Meeting so many amazing people, staying in touch with them, truly changed my life.
I went with my friends Gio and David, who are both adopted. Gio is Honduran but had never been in touch with his heritage—he knew nothing about Honduras, and this was his first time traveling there. David is Guatemalan and also wanted to understand more about Latino culture. I wanted to experience this with them, to show them my country and help them learn about their own cultures. It made the whole experience even more special.
As I’m applying to colleges now, I’m thinking a lot about languages and travel. I really enjoyed expressing my Spanish on this trip, and I’m also picking up French. My dad travels a lot for his company, and I want that too—to travel when I’m older and help people. This trip showed me that’s possible, that connecting across cultures and making a real difference isn’t just an idea—it’s something I can actually do.
The food, the people, the work, the connections—I miss all of it. But most of all, I’m grateful. Grateful that I went, grateful for the community that welcomed me, and grateful to Moises and everyone who made me feel at home in a part of Honduras I’d never seen before.
Interested in your own life-changing service trip? Learn more about School the World’s Service Learning programs.
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