Q&A: Meet EdOdyssey’s Local Team in Lima, Peru
Please meet our EdOdyssey Peru team! This special group of professionals come from Peru, and they’ve coordinated activities and events to extend the classroom and to get a wider perspective on Peruvian culture. Beyond providing cultural and academic support for students, they encourage students to thrive throughout their time in Peru. Our team works tirelessly with students, who come from different backgrounds, so that all students feel welcome during their time in Peru.
What’s personally and professionally motivated them to work with study abroad students? How have they learned from our students through their experiences these past semesters?
As educators who love working with students, we want you to hear from our team firsthand about their experiences working in international education and the valuable, shared moments they’ve had throughout their journey so far with EdOdyssey:
Q: Please tell us a little bit about yourself and why you got interested in the field study abroad?
Luis Garcia: I am a Media major at Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, 31 years old, and I love riding my bike in my spare time. I got interested in the Study Abroad field after completing a year as a Foreign Language Assistant at the College of the Holy Cross. Our job was to share our language and culture in the Practicum sessions as part of their Spanish classes.
Luis and students on their way to Iquitos, Peru!
I learned that many students were interested and would sign up for countries like Spain and Argentina, but only a few would sign up to visit Peru. So I decided then that I would do my best to push for students to get to know Peru better and everything it has to offer, both in culture and language. With time, I got really interested in this, and to guide students through their immersion experience in Peru, as they are no longer tourists and my country has so much more to offer beyond the tours and brochures.
Patty Valencia: My name is Patricia Valencia, but everyone calls me Patty. I was born in Ica, Peru, 25, almost 26 years ago, and I am currently working with EdOdyssey as a Program Coordinator. I've been working with EdOdyssey, since I was 23, and the truth is that when I was younger, I never expected I would ever be interested in this field. I am Manager by profession, and I do manage a small hostel and tour operator in Ica, my hometown, and that is how and where I met Peter McGovern, EdOdyssey's founder. He contacted me a few years ago, because he was coming to Ica with a group of students during a cultural immersion trip and he needed someone who could help him booking stuff here.
Patty (center) with students at Machu Picchu!
Long before that, I had gained experience in tourism because I worked in the field for several years before I decided to open my own hostel. But this group, was my first solo trip. The first one I did all by myself. Logistics, organization, reservations. I was kind of afraid at first, because it was a very big group (30 people), but opportunities only come once, and luckily I took this one.
As it was my first, I wanted to be always there, with the group, in case something (anything) happens. And I did. And just before the day ended, Peter lead a group reflection with the kids, where I was part of and it just hit me.
That very moment, listening to all of their impressions about what they had seen in my country and how that changed in so many ways their perspectives of living and life in general. How kind they found Peruvian people, how different, how hardworking and how giving, even when they didn't have much to offer... It was such an emotional moment, that it made me be grateful of being Peruvian, of being part of a country that struggled so much for what we have now and it made me realize how important it was to conscientize others, not only foreigners but Peruvians too, and to make them see a different reality than the one they used to live in. How important it was to educate people about privileges, and to see it first hand.
That day, Peter and I never talked about working together. It all happened too quickly. I think I went to bed that night just thinking "how lucky I am to have the life I have", but never expected that some months after, I would be the one leading the reflections, traveling with students, seeing those sparkly eyes while discovering new places and having to say goodbye after having such meaningful time together.
This job has changed my life in the most positive and holistic possible way. It has given me the chance to embrace my own identity and by doing that, it has allowed me to share it with other people, not only job wise, but my friends and family. So, no, it was never my goal to work with international students. I was just lucky enough to find it along the way.
Narda (back center) enjoyed a meal with student in Lima, Peru.
Narda Anton: I’m Narda Anton and I live in Lima, Peru. I studied Communications at the PUCP (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú) and since I was a little girl, I’ve been interested in getting to know different cultures and places around the world. For the last three years, I have been working in International Relations at PUCP and every semester I have the opportunity to meet several students from different countries and realize the positive impact studying abroad has on their lives.
Q: What have you enjoyed the most about working with American students?
Narda: I have worked with many American students over the past years and what I enjoy most is the curiosity they have in learning and discovering new things and being open to new experiences during their exchange. All the students are very interested in learning more about the culture and customs in Peru; they love to travel, explore new places, and create connections with the locals.
Q: What have you learned about Peruvian culture as you've worked with American students?
Patty: SO MUCH! To be fair, I think Peruvian primary and secondary education in the past has not been the most holistic in Latin America.As a result, we didn’t learn much about our own history and culture. I have to say that primary and secondary education continues to improve a lot through the last couple of years and the meaning of what being Peruvian means too.
There have been many places where I visited and travelled with international students. Of course, I always tried to make a lot of research about those places before I went there, but the impact once I felt there was absolutely shocking in a good, impressive way.
Patty (center right) with students at Pamplona Alta in Lima.
For example, the first time I went to Pamplona Alta, a developing community located up on a hill in Lima. We went there to help locals build stairs so they could have easier access to their houses. First of all, it was hard to trek to the higher areas that are some of the places with the most need for stairs. After some trekking, you start to get to the areas of highest demand for stairs. I think that the day before, it had rained a lot, and so it was very muddy and difficult to walk and go where we needed to go. The difficulty of the climb stopped as soon as we got to the climb because nothing could be as hard as the reality in front of our eyes.
I knew there was poverty in Peru, and where I am from in Ica, there are also a lot of families living with minimal resources. However, what I saw that day was just as impressive as it was necessary for me to feel connected to a different community . As I saw people falling over and over again because of the mud to get to their houses, raising toddlers who were just learning how to walk, and being exposed to accidents, was challenging for me to witness. After seeing these hardships, they received us, talked to us as in the most warm and friendly way, and we saw them so excited despite all of it.
Emotionally, it was one of the most challenging and fulfilling experiences I had working. And now that I share that with students, it always has on them the impact it had on me, that one first day. You share a lot in this kind of job. Couldn't be happier about that.
Narda (front left) posing with students during a dune-buggy excursion in Ica, Peru!
Narda: Every time I host a group of American students I can identify the qualities that they value most in Peruvians: how proud we are of our country and culture and how we are always promoting our Peruvian cuisine and our beautiful destinations. I can also realize how excellent hosts we are with tourists, always kind and respectful, willing to help them whenever they need it. I had the opportunity to travel several times with American students and visit different places in Peru. It was a nice experience because I learned to appreciate our cultural diversity and became more proud of my identity as Peruvian.
Q: What is your best advice on how students can immerse themselves in Peruvian culture? How can students gain the most from their study abroad experiences (excursions, volunteering)?
Patty: I have a few recommendations:
Patty (left) posing with students during a day visit at the Amaru Community!
1. The best way to truly immerse ourselves in our culture, is to actually commit to it. With your Peruvian local family, and the friends you make here. Maybe the same American friends you came with, but friends who are living the exact same experience as you. Give yourself a break from your American life, but not from your regular hobbies or habits. I don't mean you need to pause communication with your family or friends from the U.S., but you have an amazing opportunity to create a second family and group of friends here! Don't take that for granted!
2. SPEAK SPANISH. And "Peruvian Spanish", if possible. You'll notice that we use a lot of slang. Try it! Even if you are not the best at it, you'll get there.
3. Peru has a lot to offer. And compared to the U.S., it is so cheap! Try to make short trips, at least once a month. Here, you'll find beaches, mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, oasis, and more. Peru is not only Lima. And you can always come to us looking for help or recommendations.
4. Peruvian and American culture, are very different from each other. So you may find difficult to make Peruvian friends, but try it. The opportunity is always there.
5. Even though Peru is doing better than 20 years ago, it still has so many social (and many other kinds of) problems that require all the attention they can possibly have. While you are here, you can always do some volunteer work in the NGO of your preference. Again, we would be happy to help you choose the best option for you.
Q: What's the most enriching part of your work with EdOdyssey?
Luis: The most enriching part of my work with EdOdyssey is helping students understand things about Peruvian culture by using examples from their own environment to help them compare and relate.
Luis (left) with study abroad students during their orientation, visiting the Corazon de Jesus School with Agustin (the school’s promoter).
I was lucky to live long enough in the U.S. to be able to understand things about American culture and compare them to my own, learning what things are similar and different. That way, whenever there’s a concept about Peru that a student may not understand, I have learned that having that experience has helped greatly in developing my ability to explain and put things in a way that helps students in their adaptation to Peruvian life.
Patty: Definitely the friends I ended up making, which is fun to say, but it was never my goal. My goal was/is to give my very best to make each student's Peruvian experience, as enriching and fulfilling as it can be. But life has surprised me deeply and has brought people of light along my way, through work, whom I can't be happier to have now as my friends.
Patty (center) with students at the Sacred Valley.
I always say that this job has given me the chance to get to know people who I feel I would have never known in any other circumstances. But it has also given me the opportunity, in these crazy times, to see hope in the present and future generations. We are truly making an impact in students' lives, but it wouldn't mean much though, if we, as educators, don't let ourselves be fragile about it. It wouldn't mean much, if we lose the ability to feel joy when you see someone crazy happy when he/she jumps into the Amazon river, or takes the perfect picture of Machu Picchu, or tries his/hers first Causa rellena. So, focus, it is never about the place. It is always about the people.
Narda (right) with Patty (second from left) and students during a day trip!
Narda: My work with EdOdyssey allows me to meet students from many parts of the United States, who have different backgrounds and profiles. However, they all arrive to Peru with the same excitement and expectations to have an unforgettable experience during their exchange. Through my work, I have the opportunity to contribute to their personal and academic development, making me feel very grateful and appreciate the positive impact studying abroad has on their lives and how they return to their country as more open, tolerant, and empathetic people.
Q: What’s one piece of advice that you give students to help them achieve their goals while abroad?
Luis (front left) enjoyed the sunset with study abroad students in Iquitos.
Luis: My advice for students deciding to embark on a study abroad journey is to imagine yourselves as research agents on a mission to understand a country different to yours. To keep a curious mind about what makes our society different than the one at home, and how this affects language use, social interactions and customs.
To try and communicate as much as possible with people around you, because it is one thing to understand what you are being told, but true success of understanding language comes when you are able to get familiar with social cues and background. And you will know that when you finally get that joke everyone else laughed to, you will be ready to informally graduate as a Peruvian.
Narda: I think the most important advice during an exchange is that students have a positive attitude, willing to leave their comfort zone and be flexible about unexpected changes that may occur while abroad. Each student arrives at their destination with many expectations in mind, however, they must understand that their plans will not always work out and they must be open and mature enough to accept this change and let go and trust that everything will work out fine.
It’s very important that students look for emotional support from their host families or friends while abroad and realize they are not alone in this adventure and there will always be someone to help them through difficult times!
Luis (left), Narda (second from the left), and Patty (center) capturing a moment with study abroad students and EdOdyssey President & Global Founder, Peter McGovern (third from the left).
We appreciate our team for taking the time to share their stories with all of us! We hope students continue to become a part of the Peruvian culture and community abroad, with the help of our on-site staff in Lima.
Are you interested in studying abroad in Peru? With the help of our team, we’d be thrilled to make that dream a reality! Visit our study abroad page for more information about life in Lima as a study abroad student!