What is the most beautiful place you have ever been? What made it so beautiful? Was it the view from your window? Was it the breeze from the ocean? Maybe the people who lived there? For me, this place is Bastimentos Island in Panama. All of these things are what make up the beauty of the island.
This summer I got the opportunity to go on a Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder trip to Panama. I had an amazing time learning about service and giving back to a world that has given so much to me. I met so many amazing people and formed friendships that will last a lifetime.
Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder is a program that teaches high school students about ethical leadership and service learning. They partner with schools around the U.S. to give students a chance to go on trips to learn about important topics relating to the world around us. However, even if someone goes to a school that does not partner with Shoulder-to-Shoulder, they can still apply to go on one of the trips.
On July 14, 2024, I embarked on my journey to Panama and the island Bocas del Toro with 13 people I had never met before. Little did I know that over the next 12 days, these 13 people would be the ones who laughed, smiled, and cried with me throughout our journey through Panama. When the trip came to an end, it felt like I had known everyone for years, not just a couple of weeks. When it was time to leave everything behind and go back home, it felt like a chapter of my life was ending. It felt weird to just pick up where I left off and go back to regular life, whatever that is. I was sad but also grateful that I was able to experience something I’d never even dreamed about. The magic that comes from islands like Bocas del Toro is truly indescribable. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. You could see how connected the community was to each other and how much they cared for the island. There is no other way to experience it than to just go and experience it yourself.
Hotel Caribbean View & Restaurant. (Evie Blan)
The first two nights we stayed in a hostel on Cristóbal Island. Between the 14 of us, there was one shower, but I wouldn’t even call it a shower. It was a big tub of freezing cold water with a cup to pour the water on us. It was not the ideal situation, but we were experiencing what the locals think of as normal. We split into two groups. One stayed on Cristóbal Island, while the other took a boat to Bastimentos Island. Even though they were on different islands, both groups worked with an after-school program. There were children from ages two all the way to 20. Some of the older kids would just be at the community center to hang out, while the younger ones were there to learn. For the youth on the islands, school is only half a day. You can choose to go in the morning or in the afternoon. For those that go to the morning sessions of school, they come to the community centers after.
We did lots of activities with the children, including educational games and other fun activities. Every day, they looked forward to seeing us and were so excited when we played with them. We also always looked forward to the next day and being able to see the happy children again.
After the first two nights on Cristóbal, we took a boat over to Bastimentos and stayed there for the rest of the trip. We stayed in a hotel right on the ocean. The view was absolutely gorgeous. The hotel owner made us breakfast every day. We had a mix of pancakes, eggs and toast, french toast, and breakfast burritos. The food we ate did get a little repetitive, but it was always delicious and we never complained.
In the mornings we did different activities as a group, like fishing, hiking, and other fun activities where we learned about the culture of Panama and the islands. One of the first days, we visited a cacao farm. We got to eat a straight cacao bean, and we made truffles with coconut on them that were really good. We would wake up early many mornings, but it was all worth it to us. We learned to make Johnny Cakes and met a monkey named Poncho. We took several hikes to different beaches. One was Wizard Beach where we didn’t get in the water but just stood and watched as the waves rolled in.
One of the big takeaways from the trip was how the community felt like one big family. Everyone was in it together and would help out anyone who needed it. Everyone knew each other and wouldn’t hesitate to stop and have a conversation with each other on the street. One of the teachers from the community center told us a story about a fire that had happened not too long ago. Someone’s house had caught on fire and everyone was out on the street getting buckets of water to pour on the house. Young and old were helping as much as they were able, running up and down the big hill to help out this one family. After, everyone chipped in to give as much money as they could afford to help the family get back on their feet. That is only one example of the family that this community has created among themselves.
Another thing that stood out to me was how happy they were. The people on the island never failed to give you a smile or say “hi” to you. Compared to us, they don’t have much at all. Some don’t have running water, the education system is barely anything, and kids often drop out of school before they are 18. Despite all of the challenges and adversities that they face, they never stop being happy. The reason for this is that they have everything they need. They have the necessities, just not the material goods. It made me realize that even some things that I categorize as necessities, are actually only materials. The children are happy, and that’s all someone may need to push through.
The organization that we worked with for the after-school program was Give and Surf. Give and Surf was founded in 2011 to help improve the education system in Bocas del Toro. They are the ones who built the community centers on the different islands. You can volunteer or do an internship with them and learn all about the community. You can also donate to the organization, and the money will go to different things including school supplies, renovations for the community centers, and the building of more community centers on other islands. Anything will help. Even if you feel like you can’t give or contribute much to the children or the community, trust me, you can. The small things matter.
One of the main focuses of our trip was to learn the difference between service learning and learning service. Service learning is when you go somewhere and do community service for a period of time. It is basically just doing service to feel like you are making a difference, but you are not actually learning or taking anything away from the experience. Learning service is taking the time to learn about what you are doing and trying to understand the impact you are making. It is also understanding that the service can go both ways. You can be making a difference in someone’s life and that experience is also changing the way you look at the world. Learning service has a deeper impact on both sides than service learning does.
Ethan Gatzke ’27, went on the Shoulder-to-Shoulder Costa Rica trip this summer. They studied ecology and turtles. They worked with the nonprofit Turtle Trax to help clean beaches and provide safer environments for the turtles. The focus was learning about the oceans and how to protect the turtles in the area. On these trips, you must give up your phone for the length of the trip. Gatzke said that because of all the adventures and excitement, they didn’t really even miss them.
“[My] favorite part of the trip was meeting new people from all over the US…This trip has changed my perspective on my current situation in life and what my place is in this world, as was the case for many others,” Gatzke said.
Debby Arnold, a middle school Spanish teacher here at FWCD, went on the same Panama trip as me, however a few years earlier. She was a chaperone on the trip and loved the experience just as much as I did.
“Even though I have traveled around the world, I had never been to a place quite like Panama. The scenery was beautiful, and the people were so nice… Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder is an incredible organization, and they put a lot of time, effort, and thought into the trips that they organize,” Arnold said.
The Shoulder-to-Shoulder website already has the list of trips for the summer of 2025. The applications are open now. There are different steps in the application process: you must fill out a long questionnaire and then take part in an interview over the phone. After that, they will let you know if you have been admitted into the program. The costs range from about 3,000 to 5,000 dollars, but it is worth every penny.
I cannot recommend this trip enough. Shoulder-to-Shoulder hosts many trips every summer, and I know that every one of them will be worth it. The memories I made in Panama will last a lifetime and I will always keep the children close to my heart. I would go on that trip over and over again if I could. I learned so much and met so many amazing people. I can only hope that I will be able to go back sometime soon.
