Teaching English Abroad: Katie Harris ‘18 Traveled to Thailand for Service Learning Experience

Q&A with Teresa Messmore, Director of Communications and Marketing
This article appeared in the Spring 2018 issue of the Tower Hill Bulletin

How did you find out about Lifeworks International?

I have been involved in community service since Middle School, so I knew I wanted to do something that revolved around giving back in the summer between my freshman and sophomore years. After researching several programs, Lifeworks stood out because of the various activities their programs offered, specifically teaching children English and fire safety.

 

I wanted to go somewhere that was totally foreign to me, and a place I probably would not go to otherwise. After looking through multiple programs on Lifeworks, the trip to Thailand caught my attention because the program combined community service and adventure.

 

After a 21-hour flight to Bangkok, we hit the ground running. We started by planting mangroves as part of a conservation program, followed by eating a traditional Thai meal in a house that was literally floating on water. After five days in the Thai countryside, we returned to Bangkok, where we spent the next two weeks visiting the same underserved school for kids ranging from age 4 to 12. My volunteer group helped to repaint the school playground, taught the schoolchildren English and fire safety, handed out rice to hungry families and simply played with children. 

 

I spent the last week of my trip in the mountains of southern Thailand at a home for orphaned and neglected children. During the few days I spent there, I slept on a mat with a towel as my blanket and spent many restless nights worrying that a mouse might crawl on me during my sleep. But I soon realized that my lodging conditions paled in comparison to the daily challenges endured by the local children, particularly a 6-year-old boy whom I befriended named Fam. Fam and his older sister arrived at the orphanage after somehow managing to survive on their own on the dangerous streets of their community. One of the main goals of the orphanage is to equip the children with skills that will give them employment opportunities. 

 

My experience there was not just limited to serious work, however. For example, I got to ride an elephant, which was a unique experience.

 

Teaching English was somewhat challenging because obviously these children spoke little-to-no English and neither my volunteer nor I spoke Thai. Although we were teaching single words, it was difficult to communicate the meaning of these words without a common language. But we eventually learned to bridge the language barrier by using songs and rhymes in English. I was pleased to see that it did not take long for the kids to repeat back, and to some degree, I think even learn, the meaning of some English words.

 

The biggest surprise was witnessing firsthand such extreme poverty. While on some level I expected the conditions would be rough, I couldn’t have possibly imagined the extent of their poverty until I lived among the kids. One experience, in particular, left an enduring impact on me. My group and I brought bags of rice into one-room houses of hungry families living in poor neighborhoods. During the delivery of the bags of rice, I was truly left speechless, and that experience dramatically changed my perspective. We walked down tiny alleyways with rats scurrying across the ground. I left Thailand with a vastly different, and broader, value system than when I first arrived in the country.

 

I find it extremely gratifying to help those less fortunate, especially children. Although it may sound cliché, I now know and fully appreciate how very fortunate I am to live in a stable and supportive environment, free from the stress of worrying about daily survival. I’ve witnessed firsthand, both in Thailand and more locally, many children who lack even the bare necessities. My involvement with the B+ Foundation, which is dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer, has been personally rewarding in ways different than my experiences with Lifeworks. The

B+ Foundation has been a way for me to escape the daily stresses of high school by surrounding myself with hopeful children and knowing that, in even the smallest of ways, I’m making a positive impact.

 

I am very interested in psychology and neuroscience, so when I complete my studies I hope to work in one of those fields, particularly psychiatry or research. No matter what field I ultimately pursue, I know I will continue to be committed to community service. I truly can’t picture my life without some form of giving back.