Wheaton student volunteers in Peru

When most people plan a trip to Peru, they are interested in seeing Machu Picchu, or perhaps the mysterious Nazca Lines, the origins of which are still unknown. But Wheaton student Robyn Gravel '04 of Northfield, Conn., wanted to do more.

Rather than travel to Peru as a tourist, Gravel chose to visit the country as a volunteer because she had both a desire to help others and a wish to go beyond sightseeing for a deeper experience of the culture. ''I'm planning a career in medicine,'' Gravel said, ''and I believe that as a doctor, knowing Spanish and having some understanding of different cultures will be very helpful.''

Gravel spent six weeks working with children with disabilities at Mother Teresa's Home in a low-income section of Lima. ''I fell in love with the children,'' she said. ''I helped feed and change babies or did whatever was needed. On a daily basis, it was emotionally challenging, but at the end it was hard to leave.''

Many program participants find that previous misconceptions about poverty are changed when they actually meet the people they have come to help. ''They can see that poverty doesn't equate to misery,'' explained Steve Rosenthal of Cross-Cultural Solutions, the organization that arranged Gravel's trip. ''They experience the richness of the culture and the dignity of the Peruvians. Many tell us they learn more as volunteers than they give.''

''It was so strange to come back,'' Gravel said, who now wants to work in hospices near Wheaton. ''I experienced more culture shock returning to the U.S. than I did arriving in Lima.'' She continued, ''Experiencing Peruvian culture made me more open-minded about other cultures here in the U.S. And my Spanish definitely improved.''