Spanish & Service Learning Summer School in Ecuador - John Kanellakos' Story

During the summer of 2022, I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to the beautiful country of Ecuador. I am incredibly thankful to Nova Scotia Community College for having offered this international learning program. It was a remarkable experience, and one that I will take with me forever. I made countless new friends, experienced a vibrant new culture first-hand, and the entire month flew by quicker than I could have ever imagined!

Throughout the month that I was in Ecuador, I picked up numerous skills which will help me be successful in my future career endeavors. As a student of journalism, I hope to someday travel across nations and experience unfamiliar cultures, with the aim of reporting on global affairs and various geopolitical happenings. This trip has aided with my comfort in traveling abroad, as well as in my ability to rapidly assimilate to a previously unknown context. In addition, I was able to gain a stronger grasp of conversational-level Spanish. I believe this will prove useful in my future careering, as Spanish is a major world language. This would allow me to better communicate and interview individuals on the field in numerous countries, which would undoubtedly be a useful asset to have as an aspiring journalist.

I have always had a strong passion for all things socio-cultural, having previously completed my undergraduate degree in both classic history and sociology. Participating in this international program has allowed me the unique opportunity to experience Latin American culture, and to do so up-close and personally. Through the various cultural field trips I partook in, I have been able to compare and contrast my experiences with the North American culture I have grown up in and am most familiar with. Overall, I am incredibly thankful to have had this opportunity to travel abroad, and I hope to one day return to Ecuador to continue experiencing all that the country has to offer!

John Kanellakos
Radio Television Journalism Student
NSCC Ivany Campus