Emergency Management Experiential Learning in Guatemala
Latest Updates:
- Guatemala 2025 – 01/31/25 – Work Day # 14 & Final Blog Post
Written by: Tanner Linhard Last workday. Although we started off with our usual routine—getting our gear situated, heading down to Violetta’s for breakfast, and then heading out to our assigned worksites—everything felt different. Everyone was much quieter than usual. The walk to Violetta’s was almost completely silent, as was sitting down and eating the French… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/31/25 – Work Day # 14 & Final Blog Post - Guatemala 2025 – 01/30/25 – Work Day # 13
Written by: 1/C Nathan Lemire 01/30/25 Today was our final Thursday here in Guatemala. Given that we are less than seventy-two hours away from being back in the United States, I can’t help but think just how impactful these past four weeks have been, not only from a professional standpoint but also at a deep… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/30/25 – Work Day # 13 - Guatemala 2025 -01/29/25- Work Day # 12
Written by: 1/C Seamus Connolly Happy Wednesday from Antigua! Today as always kicked off at Violetta’s for breakfast at 0700, where the group of hungry cadets demolished cereal with bananas, as well as drank the morning cup of Joe. After everyone was fat and happy, we all said our goodbyes and departed to our respective… Read more: Guatemala 2025 -01/29/25- Work Day # 12 - Guatemala 2025 -01/28/25- Work Day # 11
Written by: Sean Davis Today was the second work day of our final week in Guatemala. Everyone is getting a bit sad that the end is near, but before we can think about going home, we need to finish our work and Spanish classes. It all begins with a good morning. My day began with… Read more: Guatemala 2025 -01/28/25- Work Day # 11 - Guatemala 2025 -01/27/25- Work Day # 10
Written by: Reagan Kerecz Guatemala 2025 – Work Day # 10 Today marks the start of our final week in Guatemala. I’m grateful for everything we’ve experienced here but also ready to go home. I didn’t expect to miss my family and my dog this much, but I’m looking forward to getting home soon. I… Read more: Guatemala 2025 -01/27/25- Work Day # 10 - Guatemala 2025 – 01/26/25 – Return to Antiqua from Lake Atitlán
Written by: Yorlan Herrera I got up at 0800 today after yesterday’s long but rewarding adventure into the lake’s picturesque cities. Each town had something charming: cobblestone streets with colorful houses or breathtaking views over the lake with towering mountains behind. By 0830, I headed for breakfast. The meal was simple yet satisfying: fluffy scrambled… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/26/25 – Return to Antiqua from Lake Atitlán - Guatemala 2025 -01/25/25- Lake Atitlán – Second Day
Written by: Hannah Burton Woke up this morning around 8:00 AM to the amazing views of Lake Atitlán. The lake’s surrounded by volcanoes, and it’s the deepest in all of Central America at 341 meters. It was formed 84,000 years ago after a volcanic eruption. Anyway, we were all up, got dressed, and headed down… Read more: Guatemala 2025 -01/25/25- Lake Atitlán – Second Day - Guatemala 2025 – 01/24/25 – First Day at Lake Atitlan
Written by: Mackenzie Champagne Today began with the anticipation of a new adventure. After weeks of hard work, we were finally getting the chance to relax. It felt rewarding to wake up knowing that I had earned this break. We all eagerly talked about our excitement to see the beauty of Lake Atitlán. Captain Lennon… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/24/25 – First Day at Lake Atitlan - Guatemala 2025 -01/23/25- Work Day # 9
Written by: Morgan Mendonca 01/23/25 Today started like our other work days with breakfast at Violetta’s at 7:00 a.m. where we enjoyed bananas, bean paste with some chips, chicken patty, and eggs. After breakfast, it was about a 45-minute bus ride and a short five-minute walk to the community center in San Antonio. We made… Read more: Guatemala 2025 -01/23/25- Work Day # 9 - Guatemala 2025 – 01/22/25 – Work Day # 8
Written by: Makynzi Sprague 01/22/25 Today, I made it to Violetta’s for breakfast at 0700. We had pancakes, watermelon, and bananas. We split up to go to our work sites when everybody finished eating. Everybody in my group was feeling healthy again, so we had our full team along with Professor Cadwalader who was joining… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/22/25 – Work Day # 8 - Guatemala 2025 -01/21/25- Work Day # 7
Written by: Vicenzo Roling-Stella When the alarm woke me up at 0617, I felt slightly tired from the constant routine of the past week. However, that did not last very long because I knew the work we had to complete wouldn’t resolve itself if we didn’t do something about it. So, shoving any thoughts of… Read more: Guatemala 2025 -01/21/25- Work Day # 7 - Guatemala 2025 -01/20/25- Work Day # 6
Written by: Pablo Hruska-Cleary When I woke up, I instantly felt the effect of the weekend Volcano climb on my legs. Although they were not as sore as I thought, I could feel my stiff muscles ache with every step. I could especially feel it in my calves this morning. Walking over to Violetta’s, I… Read more: Guatemala 2025 -01/20/25- Work Day # 6 - Guatemala 2025 – 01/19/25 – Volcano Hike, Day Two
Written by: Mackenzie Champagne Today began bright and early at 4:00 AM, when we packed our bags and began preparing for the grueling day ahead. I won’t lie—I had a serious case of altitude sickness, which made the early hours a bit more challenging than I would’ve liked. I hoped it would pass as the… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/19/25 – Volcano Hike, Day Two - Guatemala 2025 – 01/18/25 – Volcano Hike, Day One
Written by: Reagan Kerecz Today was the big day we had all been eagerly waiting for, our hike and overnight stay at Acatenango Volcano. I woke up at 0530 to finish packing and by 0650, we left for breakfast at Violetta’s. For breakfast, we had oatmeal, breakfast burritos, and bananas. The perfect menu to get… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/18/25 – Volcano Hike, Day One - Guatemala 2025 – 01/17/25 – Work Day # 5
Written by: Yorlan Herrera 01/17/25 Guatemala 2025 – Work Day # 5 Today was an early morning; I woke at 0600 to have enough time for a cold shower and enjoy my morning coffee. This one of my favorite parts of a day – a warm cup of coffee on the rooftop while looking at… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/17/25 – Work Day # 5 - Guatemala 2025 – 01/16/25 – Work Day # 4
Written by: Tanner Linhard After enjoying another 15 extra minutes of rest, our group trekked out to Violetta’s for breakfast. This consisted of pancakes with chocolate syrup, and fresh cantaloupe and orange slices. And of course, coffee. Needless to say, we all left with full stomachs to start our day. Team 1 (Seamus, Pablo, Reagan,… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/16/25 – Work Day # 4 - Guatemala 2025 – 01/15/25 – Work Day # 3Written by: Morgan Mendonca Today was our third day of work, and after an extra 15 minutes of sleep, thanks to breakfast being moved to 7:00 a.m. instead of 6:45 a.m., everyone was up and enthusiastic for another day of helping the community. There is no better way to start our day than with fresh… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/15/25 – Work Day # 3
- Guatemala 2025 – 01/14/25 – Work Day # 2
Written by: 1/C Seamus Connolly Today was our second work day, and all 12 cadets were very excited to continue exploring Guatemala while helping local communities! The morning started off with a bang at Violetta’s. We collectively said approximately five words over breakfast as we stuffed our faces with an omelet with ham and cheese,… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/14/25 – Work Day # 2 - Guatemala 2025 – 01/13/25 – Work Day # 1Today was the first day of our work schedule which we will follow for the next three weeks. Breakfast was at 6:45 a.m., which meant an early wake-up. I got up at 6 a.m, to have time to prepare. At Violetta’s for breakfast, we were treated to waffles with fruit on top drizzled with chocolate… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/13/25 – Work Day # 1
- Guatemala 2025 – 01/12/25 – Hike and Swim at El Pillar
Written by: 1/C Sean Davis Today was the last day before the 12-person team of Buccaneers started work and Spanish lessons. I began my morning at 0700, heading to the roof of the hostel to sip coffee and chat with my good buddy Nate, affectionately known as “Chief” or “Jefe” in Spanish. We talked for… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/12/25 – Hike and Swim at El Pillar - Guatemala 2025 – 01/11/25 – Cultural Immersion EventToday was both adventurous and eye-opening, starting with an early morning to catch the sunrise. I woke up at 6:00 AM, along with Reagan and Morgan, we went up to the rooftop of our hostel to watch the sun rise over Antigua. It was a peaceful way to start the day, and we had coffee… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/11/25 – Cultural Immersion Event
- Guatemala 2025 – 01/10/25 – Day at the Embassy + Arrival in AntiguaWritten by: Vicenzo Roling-Stella Even as the 0600 alarm played on my phone, I took another ten minutes to get out of bed. Despite wanting to do nothing more but fall back asleep, I began to change into my best clothes and brush my teeth, for I knew how important the day would be. Today… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/10/25 – Day at the Embassy + Arrival in Antigua
- Guatemala 2025 – 01/09/25 – Day at CONREDToday was our official first day waking up in Guatemala. Like many of the other students on this trip, this was my first time waking up in a foreign country. We started our day with a traditional Guatemalan breakfast at 0730 that consisted of eggs, black beans, and plantains, followed by my first time trying… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/09/25 – Day at CONRED
- Guatemala 2025 – 01/08/25 – Arrival to Guatemala City
Today started as another travel day. We woke up and had breakfast at the hotel in Miami before heading to the airport. We made it through TSA and found our gate, where we had plenty of time to wait and we even met up with some of the Energy Systems Engineering students before they left… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/08/25 – Arrival to Guatemala City - Guatemala 2025 – 01/07/25 – Travel Day
After double-checking my luggage one final time at 6:30 a.m., I confirmed that I had packed all the essentials needed for my 25-day trip to Guatemala. By 7:00 a.m., I was on the road, heading to Logan Airport for our four-hour flight to Miami. Of course, I made a quick stop for coffee first—airport coffee… Read more: Guatemala 2025 – 01/07/25 – Travel Day - Guatemala: Saturday, May 11, 2024:Today is our last day in Guatemala! We woke up around 0200 to get ready to leave for the airport at 0245. Once we got to the airport, we went through Immigration and Security. We boarded the flight at 0530 and landed in Miami at 1030 before boarding other planes to go home. Most went… Read more: Guatemala: Saturday, May 11, 2024:
- Guatemala: Friday, May 10, 2024:
As we wrap up our 3 week trip, each cadet has been reflecting on the experiences we have gone through and the countless lessons learned. Today was the last work day for us before we depart early tomorrow morning. The Brillo De Sol group continued cleaning up the school grounds by organizing remaining loose items… Read more: Guatemala: Friday, May 10, 2024: - Guatemala: Thursday, May 9, 2024:
As our days in Guatemala wind down, we find ourselves scrambling to complete all of the activities we want to do. In our free time, eight of our fourteen group members went on a chocolate tour, where they learned the origins of chocolate and how it is made. They also got the opportunity to make… Read more: Guatemala: Thursday, May 9, 2024: - Guatemala: Wednesday, May 8, 2024:
We went to breakfast at Violetta’s at 0700. Breakfast today was pancakes topped with apple and banana. Each group worked from 0800 to 1200 and then went to our Spanish lessons from1330 to 1630. We broke up into our three groups and left for work right after breakfast. My group, group 1, set off in… Read more: Guatemala: Wednesday, May 8, 2024: - Guatemala: Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Today marks our fifth to last day in Guatemala. As our time here starts to wind down, we have come to have a deep appreciation for the people and culture of Guatemala. Spending almost a full month in this amazing country has allowed us to immerse ourselves in the everyday work and lifestyle of Mayan… Read more: Guatemala: Tuesday, May 7, 2024 - Guatemala: Monday, May 6, 2024
Today, the team started off with a delightful breakfast featuring fresh fruit and homemade comfort food in the form of breakfast burritos. After fueling up, the three teams set off to their weekly worksites. One team, comprised of DJ, Reece, Victoria, and Shayla, began the noble task of rebuilding a storage shed for a low-income… Read more: Guatemala: Monday, May 6, 2024 - Guatemala: Saturday, May 4, 2024:
Hola from Lake Atitlán!Today’s forecast was sunny and 80 degrees, perfect for exploring the Lake. The lake has 9 small towns and today we explored two of them; San Marcos and Santa Cruz.Our day started at 0900 with a buffet breakfast including eggs, fruit, beans and toast. Shortly after, our guide Tania took us all… Read more: Guatemala: Saturday, May 4, 2024: - Guatemala: Friday May 3, 2024
Today we went to Violetta’s for breakfast and she served waffles with fruit. Muy delicioso. We had a long trek to Lake Atitlán. It took about 3 hours to drive to the lake. Lake Atitlán is in the Sierra Mountain range of Guatemala and is the deepest lake in Central America. It sits in a caldera… Read more: Guatemala: Friday May 3, 2024 - Guatemala: Thursday, May 2, 2024
Hola from Antigua, Guatemala! Today was our last workday for week two. Group 1 finished tearing up and tiling classroom floors at the Jardin De Amor school in Santa Maria de Jesus. They also played with the students in the schoolyard. Group 2 was in San Antonio today continuing work on projects in support of the Community… Read more: Guatemala: Thursday, May 2, 2024 - Guatemala: Tuesday, May 1, 2024:
Hola! Today was Labor Day in Guatemala, so San Antonio was closed, but SMJ and Brillo del Sol were both still open. Group 2, who was originally supposed to go to San Antonio, tagged along with Group 1 at Brillo del Sol and combined for a group of 9 cadets. With no distractions from the… Read more: Guatemala: Tuesday, May 1, 2024: - Guatemala: Tuesday, April 30, 2024
¡Hola! Today is day 14 of our stay in Guatemala. The diversity and culture in this wonderful country are eye-opening in the best way! As you read these blogs, you most likely already know that we visit Violeta each morning and afternoon for food. Today was special because, for lunch, we had slow-cooked pork and… Read more: Guatemala: Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - Guatemala: Monday, April 29, 2024
Hola everyone today we started our second week of working meaning each group has switched locations. Group 1 (my group) who consists of Victoria Boss, DJ Faivre, Reece Gannon, John Hagan, and Shayla Narodowg finished up at Brillo de Sol last week and are now working at Jardin De Amor in Santa Maria de Jesus.… Read more: Guatemala: Monday, April 29, 2024 - Guatemala: Sunday, April 28, 2024:
After a long night of enjoying each other’s company by the fire, the group was supposed to wake up at 0400 to climb to the summit and get a better view of El Fuego and the sunrise. We could not do this due to inclement weather so we slept in until about 6:15 AM. We… Read more: Guatemala: Sunday, April 28, 2024: - Guatemala: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Today marks day 11 of our trip. We ate pancakes and pineapple at 0715 for breakfast before we got on a bus at 0800 to take us to our two-day adventure at Volcan Acatenanago. We arrived around 0930 and embarked on our long journey up the volcano. Just a little background of Acatenango. Acatenango is… Read more: Guatemala: Saturday, April 27, 2024 - Guatemala: Thursday, April 25, 2024
Today marked the fourth day of our working experience here in Guatemala. We had breakfast at Violetta’s, which consisted of an omelet, watermelon, and black berries. Violetta is a very generous lady who always makes sure we are full before we leave. After breakfast we separated back into our groups and headed off to our… Read more: Guatemala: Thursday, April 25, 2024 - Guatemala: Wednesday, April 24, 2024:
We went to breakfast at Violetta’s at 0700. Breakfast today was delicious French toast topped with papaya and banana and some optional orange juice. Each group worked from 0800 to 1200 and then went to our Spanish lessons from1330 to 1630. We broke up into our three groups and left for work right after breakfast.… Read more: Guatemala: Wednesday, April 24, 2024: - Guatemala: Tuesday, April 23, 2024:
Today was our second day working and taking Spanish classes. At 0700, we started the day at Violetta’s for some delicious waffles and fruits for breakfast.After breakfast was over, my group (Group 2) took a chicken bus up to Santa Maria de Jesus to work at the school. Today, we focused on sanding and painting… Read more: Guatemala: Tuesday, April 23, 2024: - Guatemala: Monday, April 22, 2024:
Day six was our first work day and our first day of Spanish classes. We went to breakfast at Violetta’s at 0700. Breakfast today was eggs with salsa, refried beans, ham, and plantains. The work day lasted from 0800 until 1200 and Spanish class took place from 1330-1630. Following breakfast, we split into our groups,… Read more: Guatemala: Monday, April 22, 2024: - Guatemala: Sunday, April 21, 2024
On day five, we woke up at 0730. We all then prepared for our day and had breakfast at Violetta’s Tienda. Breakfast consisted of local fresh fruit and a delicious breakfast burrito. An excellent thing about Guatemala is that you can not go wrong with the food. Today the team was given a free day… Read more: Guatemala: Sunday, April 21, 2024 - Guatemala: Saturday, April 20, 2024:
Hola from Antigua Guatemala! Today’s weather was about 70 degrees and partly cloudy. Our 8:00 breakfast at Violetta’s consisted of pancakes and watermelon, with a choice of water, tea or coffee for our drink. We then took a bus ride to Iximche Park to see the Mayan ruins. This bus ride took about an hour… Read more: Guatemala: Saturday, April 20, 2024: - Guatemala: Friday, April 19, 2024:
This morning was our last day in the Quetzalroo hostel. We ate pancakes and fruits for breakfast and made our way to CONRED. CONRED stands for Coordinadora Nacional Para La Reducción De Desatres. In translation, that is national coordinator for disaster reduction. This is Guatemala’s version of what FEMA is in the U.S. We toured… Read more: Guatemala: Friday, April 19, 2024: - Guatemala: Thursday, April 18, 2024:
¡Hola! Breakfast this morning was at 0615 before we made our way to the US Embassy in Guatemala City. The Embassy building is new and a state of the art facility. At the Embassy we were briefed by representatives from the State Department, USAID, HSI, and the DOD. The USAID briefing discussed their goals of… Read more: Guatemala: Thursday, April 18, 2024: - Guatemala: Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Hola from Guatemala City! Today was a day full of travel, going from Boston, to Miami, and eventually reaching our destination of Guatemala City. After around 6 hours of being miles above the earth and full of anticipation, we have finally touched down in Guatemala. A stress free travel day was a perfect start to… Read more: Guatemala: Wednesday, April 17, 2024