Meet Cassidy Onley, a junior exercise science major at USC! In the summer of 2017, Cassidy went on a mission trip to Guatemala. Read on to learn more about her experiences and volunteering in a foreign country.
Her Campus South Carolina: Where did you go in Guatemala? Why were you there?
Cassidy Onley: I stayed in Ciudad Vieja which is right outside of Antigua, one of the main tourist cities in Guatemala and Chichicastenango, one of the more indigenous regions in the Quiche Department. I went to Guatemala on a mission trip with Adventures in Missions, where we participated in several kinds of ministry. While I was there I also visited Sacatepequez, Alotenango, San Vincent, Panajachel, and many other districts.
HCSC: How long were you in Guatemala? What did an average day look like?
CO: I stayed in Guatemala for two months, residing in Ciudad Vieja the first month, and Chichicastenango the second month. On the average day, my team and I would wake up early and eat breakfast with our host missionary, and do 3 to 4 types of ministry a day. Some of our ministry options included teaching English at elementary schools, planting trees, teaching soccer clinics, running a women’s club, running a kid’s club, bringing soup and sitting with the homeless, and much more.
HCSC: What made you decide to go?
CO: Mission work and traveling have always been my favorite things. I was given the opportunity to go on this trip and I had never been to Guatemala before so I thought I would try it out.
HCSC: How is Guatemala different than the US?
CO: Guatemala is so different from the US. It really showed me how much we take for granted over here. While waking up and immediately taking 34 degree showers don’t sound fun, everyone over there is so grateful just when they get the chance to take a shower at all. Food and custom is very important to Guatemalans, and they easily get offended when you don’t respect their customs. Guatemalans are also so accepting. I am not a very educated Spanish speaker, as I took French throughout high school. The Guatemalans would chuckle when I tried to speak to them and said the wrong words, but they would always teach me what I was trying to say and more. Their medical care is also very different. During this trip I got very sick, and had to go to the doctor. Due to the severity of my sickness, my team sought out the only English speaking doctor in the city. At my hospital visit I got ultrasounds and medicines and IVs which would cost thousands and usually include insurance coverage in the states. In Guatemala my total cost of this hospital visit was the equivalent of $78 USD, with no insurance at all.
HCSC: What impact did this trip have on you?
CO: This trip made me realize that I want to live in Guatemala one day. I’ve been a lot of places and my heart is stuck in Guatemala. I love the city and the people, and I would love to let their place become my home one day. I also met some of my best friends both on my team who came back to the states with me after the trip, and those at the AIM base who remain in Guatemala.
HCSC: What are your career goals?
CO: I want to become a pediatric surgeon and medical missionary serving in a developing country while specializing in club feet and cleft lip operations.