Maya Panicker

Maya is very passionate about travel and human rights. Reading and watching documentaries are some of her favorite activities. She is involved in community projects like running her own book drive. She is inspired most by the people in her life who put others first. Her goals for the year are to become proficient in the language of her Senegalese community and to adapt to a completely new culture.

Capstone Video

Maya Panicker

2016-05-31

Click here to watch my capstone video!

Learning to Find Peace

Maya Panicker

2015-12-09

So, I used to know this girl named Maya. She was nice. She cared. But she worried all the time about what people thought of her. She compared herself to others and never believed she was spectacular or even enough. Her life was a constant competition with her peers and herself. Thoughts on what to...

Gratitude

Maya Panicker

2015-11-26

Ten things I am grateful for: 1. I am grateful for the sores on my feet. They remind me of all the paths I have walked to places I had never been before now. 2. I am grateful for my runny nose. It reminds me that the seasons are changing and the sweltering heat will...

A Lesson in Patience

Maya Panicker

2015-11-06

"Things take the time they take. Don't worry. How many roads did St. Augustine follow before be became St. Augustine?" – Mary Oliver I certainly hope St. Augustine remembered to bring a toothbrush and a change of clothes, because if he were maneuvering around Senegal he would never survive without them. Things take pretty long...

Salt and Vinegar Pringles

Maya Panicker

2015-09-09

Today was a rough day. The little moments of culture shock have been slowly piling up in my mind and I'ts really starting to hit me that this is not just a trip, this is going to be my life for the next 6 months. On our way back from an overwhelming and overstimulating market/beach...

Why Not?

Maya Panicker

2015-08-27

When informing peers of my imminent bridge year in Senegal, the response usually starts out the same: Where the heck is Senegal? After explaining to them that, yes, Senegal is a real country and, no, it’s not one of those tiny island nations, they begin to ask the real question. Why? Why would I choose...