One Door Closes and Another Opens: Spotlight on NAC Alum Jessica Aquino

April 16, 2012

NAC News Archives

NAC alum, Jessica Aquino, having a blast with the Voluntarios Internacionales MexicoIn August, 2011, when NAC alum, Jessica Aquino, found out the internship she had prepared for fell through, she did what we hope all NAC students would do: She took advantage of the time she had available and found another opportunity to put her talents to work, and at the same time had a life-changing experience. The following is an interview with Jessica Aquino about this experience.

NAC: What was the internship/program to which you applied?

Jessica: Well, the musical internship (Festival Novo Forte) I was supposed to intern for did not actually happen. The government of the State of Hidalgo decreed a postponement on all cultural and tourism projects for the next few months due to a state agricultural crisis. But, with help from Colgate and my professor, I had the fortunate experience of volunteering abroad for a non-profit organization called Voluntarios Internacionales Mexico (VIMEX) in Mexico City, Mexico. For two weeks, I, along with other international volunteers, created an accessible space for low-income children to spend their summer in educational workshops that we personally assembled in order to promote our mission of “global solidarity, the tolerance and the mutual understanding between the different cultures and races through the International Volunteer Projects.”