Name: Amanda Saeli
Year: Junior
Major: Marketing
What’s an interesting talent you have that others might not know about you?
I’m really great at singing in the car by myself, but I usually stop or sing under my breath when I get to a stoplight so people can’t see me.
What other activities are you involved in at Bonaventure?
This is my second year as an RA. I also play violin in the Olean Community Chamber Orchestra.
This summer you traveled to Africa to work with the local community. What was the day to day of your trip like?
Each morning we drove to the combined school and orphanage that we work with. We played around with the kids and took so many pictures to tell our stories when we got back home. A lot of the work we did on the trip involved building relationships with our coworkers down there and finding out what needs they have that we could help resolve sustainably. Our big projects tackle public health issues, access to good education, and the cycle of poverty. We also conducted some research that will be helpful in increasing sustainability in our projects.
What did you learn most from this experience?
I learned not everyone’s equal. On the other side of the world there are the brilliant, loving teachers and students that struggle to get by, not because they aren’t capable, but because they don’t have the right resources. I also learned I can’t get fix that problem by myself, but even the $50 I would have spent on Domino’s for the semester could buy them medical supplies for the whole term. Anyone on this campus could make that kind of a difference.
What was your favorite part about your trip?
My favorite part of the trip was a tie between talking with the teachers at the school and playing with the kids. With the kids, we were able to run around and laugh and play with little communication in English. There was no talk of malaria or AIDS or poverty—it was all so happy and innocent. Talking with the teachers, we were able to contrast our cultures while joking around like old friends. Some of them are around my age, and are in charge of the welfare of 600+ kids at the school. I couldn’t imagine how I would handle all of that responsibility.
What’s your favorite part about getting back to Bonaventure?
It’s cliché but I really missed the people. I’m sure anyone who’s been here long enough would understand what I mean when I say the campus really feels like home and your friends really feel like your family.
Photo credit: Amanda Saeli