By: Matthew Donnelly '18
One of the greatest aspects of Cornell as an institution, in my opinion, is the number of doors an education like mine can open. Having recently decided to declare Spanish as my second major in addition to Biology, I was eager to find opportunities to practice the language with native speakers. After talking with some friends, one of whom is Peruvian, we decided that over winter break we would embark on a journey to Peru to experience the culture that I had come to love through my courses here at Cornell. Weeks passed, the trip was planned, and before I knew it I was on the plane traveling to a country I had been waiting to visit for years.
Upon arrival, I was immediately thankful to Cornell, not only for introducing me to some of my best friends who made the trip possible, but also for endowing me with the skills necessary to communicate with a new group of people. After completing three Spanish courses here, I felt more than prepared to converse with people in the country. Whether it was the tour guide on our trip to Ollantaytambo, an Incan archeological site near Cuzco; the store owner who I was forced to haggle with to purchase a souvenir; or the waiter who was more than happy to explain the local cuisine to us; I was able to meet people who had lived in Perú all their life and really experience the culture and pride that fill the country. The trip was eye opening, not only due to the amazing places I got to see firsthand (Machu Picchu, Lima, Las islas ballestas), but because it really made me appreciate the value of my education here at Cornell. I realized that I was gaining lifelong skills, which allowed me to spend over an hour talking with an older couple from Arequipa about everything from how they met to the infamous taste of cuy (guinea pig!). Cornell gave me the opportunity to travel, the opportunity to communicate, and the opportunity to experience something I never thought I would.
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