In only two and half days of work time, we as a collective group really made something to look back on where we exclaim, “Wow, we really did it”. The initial thoughts of the project were all not so enthusiastic because it just seemed like so much to do in such little time but in the end, we all put aside our differences and got to work. It’s really nice to see how one project like this can just bring out the Bob the Builder, the Picasso, and the vision in people. Everyone has their idiosyncrasies and hidden talents and all it takes a little push to make it happen.

Eight refurbished benches, two handmade bookshelves, and a beautiful mural. The hard work of all these individuals in this group I can call my family has really put a smile on the children and teachers of La Amistad. We had children and teachers peeking in, taking pictures, and just the small smiles and surprised faces from them looking at our unfinished product really motivated us to keep going and give La Amistad something nice to look at, something to store their books, and something to sit comfortably on.

The most rewarding part of this was looking at all these beautiful finished products especially the breathtaking mural: a well-detailed cacao tree with kids of all different shapes and sizes gathered around it with their teachers, a wonderfully painted natural scenery with the mountains and a stream in Matagalpa with the local houses interspersed. On the other wall, we have a little global pizzazz with flags from all different types of backgrounds and the logo from the organization that made it all possible―Global Glimpse.

Later that night, we all had a very critical reflection on what we had accomplished today and how we can make group work more inclusive next time. People also had their own personal reflections in order to figure out how they can make their future experiences in school, in the workforce and all over a better place for group projects. Let’s face it, life is group work so unless you can get along with people and find a way to integrate your ideas into one, cohesive product, you’ll have problems. Like Confucius said, all it takes is our sheer desire to complete something and achieve something and you will unlock your personal excellence in everything you do. Overall, I really had a very challenging but amazing day as Leader of the Day today and I think I really can take lessons from this experience and apply it to different aspects of my life.

image image image image image image