Thoughts from Racquel

Racquel Sohasky is a medical student currently with Dr. Coral Matus on a trip to Guatemala.

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"This morning Darshana, Sammy, and I stayed behind at the clinic while Clay, Brent, and Dr. Matus went to the birthing center in El Chal. While at the clinic we spoke with two groups of girls about ourselves, our futures, and our aspirations. We shared with them where we were and where we saw ourselves going. Through this, we also were able to ask them about their lives and their hopes for the future. We spoke with twelve year olds who wanted to be archeologists and ten year olds aspiring to be physicians. We were inspired by these things and encouraged them to pursue their dreams. The girls are truly both intelligent and kind. They have great potential and purpose, and are in need of great role models guide them and to push them forward. 
It was hard to see the stark difference between the first and second group we spoke with. The older girls in the second group were much more hesitant to be open with us. They were still curious, but many of them had already decided they wouldn’t go on to high school. It was difficult to even break the ice with them, and unfortunate to see their self confidence and motivation decreasing. Nonetheless, we enjoyed getting to know them and sharing some experiences. Maybe something we said will stick with a few of them, and that in itself would be worthwhile. Not every interaction is going to be easy, but each one is valuable and a learning experience on both ends."