“Seeing the world is an amazing experience where you can learn more about yourself and the world.” This quote has been a key factor in pushing Jacki D’Amico to travel and study abroad. As a junior at Immaculata University, Jacki has already visited Perú twice and is planning her third trip for the summer of 2017.

While in Perú, Jacki lived in Lima, the capital of Perú, for both of her visits. During her stay in one of the local convents connected with her college, she taught at Colegio San Antonio IHM, which was founded by the sisters of the convent. Jacki taught first, second, and third grade for her first teaching experience in Perú.

On her second trip, she taught a class of preschool and a kindergarten class. Despite their ages, she still taught phonics to every single one of her classes. The children must learn the English language in order to graduate and get a job after schooling. Sophomore, Lizzy Bader said, “I thought her presentation was very interesting to learn about the new cultures she experienced and the great opportunities she received from putting herself out there”. ‘

During her freshman year at Immaculata, Jacki requested to study abroad. Fortunately, a spot opened up that Jacki was able to fill for her first trip to Perú. Another sophomore who attended the talk, Ally Stuebing said, “I really enjoyed Jacki’s presentation. Since studying abroad has always been a dream of mine. Her presentation was extremely helpful in learning how to study abroad and what you will experience”. 

Jacki’s presentation has inspired the students at Padua taking a language to study abroad and open their minds to the new cultures and ideas offered by the program. Señora Kiefer, one of the many Spanish teachers at Padua, said, “Mrs. Markham was having Jacki come in to speak to her students, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to have my Spanish students hear her talk about her study abroad experiences and pursuing language beyond high school.”