Student Spotlight - Erika Parkins
Erika Parkins, a senior majoring in Criminology, Law and Society, had the opportunity to serve on the Global Youth Connect Human Rights Delegation to Rwanda this past summer. Below, Erika reflects on how her volunteer efforts not only impacted the people with whom she interacted, but her life too.
When I was accepted as a delegate in the Global Youth Connect Human Rights Delegation to Rwanda, I thought about all the lives I would help change in Rwanda through volunteer work and advocacy in the program. However, it did not occur to me at first to think about how my experience in Rwanda would change my life.
Rwanda has been called one of the success stories of Africa. Out of the horror of genocide, a united and growing country has evolved. For the most part this is the picture I got of Rwanda directly from the people. Although Rwanda is not without its struggles, they have taken great measures to rebuild and have accomplished many amazing things.