study story

This past weekend, the six other HECUA students and I decided to travel to Belfast to soak up a city where we knew absolutely no one, as well as get ready for our class excursion there on Monday. Read More »

On our second day, we went down the gravel road to Wairarapa Forest School. This is an outdoor classroom created for children, integrating children back into the outdoors. Its focus is to let children be children--to teach them about bugs, soil, gardening, trees--things that children no longer truly learn about in today's society. We were welcomed in a traditional Māori way. Māori words were exchanged and we entered the circle and sang a Māori song. This classroom was so welcoming, I too felt like I reentered my childhood. While barefoot, we climbed trees, looked for bugs, and drank from the fresh spring with the children. Afterwards we explored the land. Read More »

I am a Filipina-American because the combination of these two places is the only way describe who I am. I am Filipina in my love of food and people. I am Filipina, because my second name, Mara, has just as much importance as my first because it is a recognition of my late Grandfather (Lolo), Mauro Victa whose birthday I share. I am American because I stand up for what I believe in and stubbornly push forward until I have my way. Read More »