¡HOLA! I am embarking on a 9 month adventure in Ecuador representing Union College as a Minerva Fellow! Follow this blog for updates all the way from South America. I will be posting every time I have internet access so stay tuned!
WHO? WHAT? WHERE?
My name is Shelby Cutter and I recently graduated from Union College in Schenectady, NY with a major in Latin American & Caribbean Studies and a minor in Sociology. I am part of the fourth generation of Minerva Fellows but only the second generation to be placed in Ecuador (what’s up Allie and Nik?!). This Fellowship is a program awarded to Union College graduates who are excited to spend a year living with complete strangers in developing communities while challenging one another to improve. We will learn from various cultures, empower villages and most importantly help others help themselves through social entrepreneurial tools. I am honored to be grouped with my fellow eight 2011-2012 Minerva Fellows who are all about to change lives across the globe.
Specifically, I will be volunteering alongside my dear friend Alex Brockwehl for a non-profit called Fundación Yanapuma, which is based out of Quito. The overall goal is to promote and develop social and economic sustainability in different communities in Ecuador. We will be living in Estero de Plátano a beautiful town, rainforest and fishing village located right on the western coast of Ecuador in the province of Las Esmeraldas.
From teaching to learning to dancing to singing to eating to building we will DO IT ALL. So stay tuned folks its going to get good!
