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Marisa Etzell

Marisa is passionate about caring for this beautiful Earth we call home and empowering people to know their lives matter in this world. Throughout high school, Marisa has been involved in various clubs and activities ranging from track and field to the school board student representative to a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Before Marisa embarks on her journey to Ecuador, she will be working on an oral history project for the local Island County Museum. The purpose of the project is to collect the stories of notable citizens through an interview process. By doing this, it will preserve the Island's history and keep it alive for generations to come. Her goals for the year are to gain a deeper understanding of the Ecuadorean culture, environment, and people; ultimately she will return to the U.S. with stories and experiences from Ecuador to share with her home community. While there are many quotes that inspire Marisa , "Use your smile to change this world. Don't let this world change your smile" is one that she'd like to model not only in her global citizen year, but in her life.

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These Were a Few of My Favorite Things

Marisa Etzell

2016-07-20

As I reflect on my time spent in Ecuador, I can't help but think about some of my favorite things. I decided to try something new- I wrote a parody! ***Special thanks to my friend, Kaj Lund Olsen, for help with the lyrics. I put together a powerpoint presentation with the words and the karaoke...

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La Familia

Marisa Etzell

2016-06-20

    A little insight into my Ecuadorian family, the people who so graciously welcomed me into their home. I am so thankful for every one of them; they each hold a special place in my life. Take a look at the photo of all of us together and click on the audio to listen...

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Sign Your Name Here

Marisa Etzell

2016-01-16

*Note: I coordinated with the director of the local school in my community to assist with English class one day a week. This post was written on Tuesday, January 5th, after school got out. During the last 10 minutes of class, a girl who had been sitting in the back of the classroom and hadn't...

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Looking Ahead

Marisa Etzell

2015-10-16

My 19th birthday is on April 11, 2016, and that is around the time that we leave our community here in Ecuador and fly back to the United States, so I’m going to use that as the “end date” for my vision statement, even though it’s not really the end, it’s the beginning. By my...

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Muchas Thank Yous

Marisa Etzell

2015-09-19

My host mom in Quito knows very little English, and the other night when I was washing the dishes  was one of the first times I heard her speak English; she used the term “muchas thank yous” to express her gratitude towards me helping out after dinner. As I prepare to say goodbye to Quito...

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The Five W’s

Marisa Etzell

2015-09-18

The purpose of this blog is to give a little more background information on why I am here in Ecuador and what led me to this point. Who: You. Yes, you. If you are reading this, you are part of my story. While it was ultimately my decision to apply to this program and choose...

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Taking a Leap of Faith

Marisa Etzell

2015-09-03

Note: This is a picture of my dad jumping into Crater Lake. I did NOT jump off, I was the photographer. Earlier this summer, my family spent time camping in Oregon. While there, we hiked Cleetwood trail, which led us to Crater Lake. We found a nice area to stop for lunch and I watched...

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