USC Marshall ThinkImpact – Student Feedback from Summer 2014
Student #1
Location: Panama
General Program Evaluation:
Overall, I was satisfied with the program: Agree
The program met my expectations: Agree
The program was a valuable learning experience: Strongly Agree
I felt immersed in the culture of the host country: Strongly Agree
I gained a better appreciation of the host culture: Strongly Agree
Support Services:
Orientation from ThinkImpact during the Institute: Mostly Satisfied
In-Country Training: Mostly Satisfied
End of Program Debrief: Mostly Satisfied
Communication with the USC Marshall Student Sevices Office: Not applicable
Overall Impression of the Support Services Offered: Mostly Satisfied
Accommodations:
Location of Housing Accommodations: Mostly Satisfied
Quality of Housing Accommodations: Mostly Satisfied
Additional Expenses
Travel to/from Country: $500
General Costs: $300
General Travel: $350
Miscellaneous Supplies and Expenses: $100
Total Expenses: $1250
If you traveled independently outside the program, please write in your destination(s):
N/A
Did you incur any significant unexpected expenses that other students should be aware of?
N/A
Method of payment: Which payment option would you recommend future participants to
use for money while in the program?
Credit card
During your travels, did you experience any negative treatment that you felt was related to
your (select items):
I did not experience any negative treatment.
USC Marshall ThinkImpact – Student Feedback from Summer 2014
What ended up being your business ‘venture’ in your community?
We set up a trash collecting enterprise in our community. My host dad Enrique Flores would
drive around the community 8 AM every Monday morning and collect trash from people
interested. The price for the service was $0.75 per household. We wanted to do this in order to
stop the community from burning their trash in their backyards, so our dad would collect the
trash in his truck and bring it to the municipal dump.
Did your venture match with your interests and goals? Explain your experience.
Yes. We actually wanted to do something about the trash problem and start a trash collecting
service. However, the point of the program was to empower the community members and
have them realize their assets and abilities. Ultimately, it's the community's project and we are
only there to start the process. The last thing we wanted was to tell them what to do. That
would not be sustainable at all. We picked our group based on their interests in helping the
environment and based on our first idea. The group wanted to make bracelets made of recycled
chip bags, but our group knew that it was not sustainable. So we came up with an entire system
addressing the trash problem from educating the kids, putting up signs in the community,
taking part of a trash collecting day, educating the community members on the importance of
separating trash and using the organic waste as compost for their gardens, and then the trash
collecting service which would take inorganic waste to the city dump and potentially recyclables
to the recycling center farther away.
Has participation in the program influenced your academic and/or career goals? How?
Yes, I realized I really want to have a career abroad, and have the opportunity to utilize both of
my majors.
Why did you choose this program?
I really wanted to find a major that combined both my majors: business administration and
international relations. I'm especially interested in developing countries and emerging
economies, so after taking classes about development in general and having a more macro view
of development, it was a good choice to learn about development on a more grassroots level
and actually experiencing everything in person.
What was the best part of the program?
The homestay and our ThinkImpact Panama group was the best part of the program. I really
liked living with the community members and being a part of their daily lives. Our coordinators
were really awesome too, and we got to teach English to the local kids twice a week, so that
was a big plus for me because I've been considering teaching English abroad after I graduate.
What was your least favorite aspect of the program?
My least favorite aspect was when I got sick, but they really took care of me, so everything was
good. I had to miss a week.
USC Marshall ThinkImpact – Student Feedback from Summer 2014
What was the most challenging aspect of the program?
The most challenging aspect for me was not knowing the language and having to gain the trust
to empower the community members.
Describe something that you are proud to have accomplished during your stay.
I'm proud to have successfully lived and enjoyed my time in a foreign country with absolutely
no prior knowledge of the language. Honestly, the language barrier wasn't a big problem, as I
did pick up some phrases in the 8 weeks. Also, it made the experience much more entertaining
and funny how I had to express myself.
What additional comments do you have? What advice do you have for future students?
Be open to new experiences (that's what this experience is all about). Remember that the
projects are the community member's so it might not be feasible coming in with grand ideas to
solve international development and poverty. The community members have to be
comfortable and willing to continue their project in order to make the project as sustainable as
possible.
USC Marshall ThinkImpact – Student Feedback from Summer 2014
Student #2
Location: Panama
General Program Evaluation:
Overall, I was satisfied with the program: Strongly Agree
The program met my expectations: Agree
The program was a valuable learning experience: Strongly Agree
I felt immersed in the culture of the host country: Agree
I gained a better appreciation of the host culture: Strongly Agree
Support Services:
Orientation from ThinkImpact during the Institute: Neutral
In-Country Training: Mostly Satisfied
End of Program Debrief: Very Satisfied
Communication with the USC Marshall Student Sevices Office: Neutral
Overall Impression of the Support Services Offered: Neutral
Accommodations:
Location of Housing Accommodations: Very Satisfied
Quality of Housing Accommodations: Very Satisfied
Additional Expenses
Travel to/from Country: $600
General Costs: $200
General Travel: $0
Miscellaneous Supplies and Expenses: $100
Total Expenses: $900
If you traveled independently outside the program, please write in your destination(s):
N/A
Did you incur any significant unexpected expenses that other students should be aware of?
No significant unexpected expenses, but be prepared to spend some money on food
throughout the program.
Method of payment: Which payment option would you recommend future participants to
use for money while in the program?
US Dollars for Panama
During your travels, did you experience any negative treatment that you felt was related to
your (select items):
Race; not necessarily negative treatment but passive discrimination/stereotyping of Asians.
Although not unexpected, it was at times bothersome.
USC Marshall ThinkImpact – Student Feedback from Summer 2014
What ended up being your business ‘venture’ in your community?
We set up a fruit-preserving business in order to take advantage of underutilized local fruits.
During our time there, we tested with mangoes and sold jam, flan, and popsicle.
Did your venture match with your interests and goals? Explain your experience.
Yes my venture matched with my interests of setting up a business with a sustainable business
model. The venture itself ended up not being the best part of the experience, but it was figuring
out the benefit to the community and a way to empower the community members.
Has participation in the program influenced your academic and/or career goals? How?
Yes it has definitely influenced my academic and career goals. It made me realize my fascination
with traveling and solving problems that have both a business and social aspect. The program
made me rethink what I actually want to do in the future and made me question if my current
path and major was what I really wanted to do.
Why did you choose this program?
I chose this program because it offered on-the-ground social entrepreneurship that approached
the issue of helping out impoverished countries with an innovative way.
What was the best part of the program?
The best part of the program was definitely the relationships you make. Whether it is with my
host family, community members, design team, roommate, ThinkImpact Staff, or fellow
scholars, these relationships made my experience incredible and rich, and they are the biggest
takeaway I had from the program.
What was your least favorite aspect of the program?
My least favorite aspect of the program were the costs. If I could give an advice to a newcomer,
it would be to figure out ways to raise money for the trip and excursions.
What was the most challenging aspect of the program?
The most challenging aspect of the program was figuring out a way to work with community
members because of the language and cultural barrier. It was at times frustrating to convince or
convey an idea to community members, and at the same time trying to lead them on to take
the reigns of the project.
Describe something that you are proud to have accomplished during your stay.
I am proud that I finally connected with my host family and community members beyond the
level of just strangers despite our language and cultural barriers. I am proud of the lessons I
have taken away during my stay and the way the experience has shaped my vision and goals.
USC Marshall ThinkImpact – Student Feedback from Summer 2014
What additional comments do you have? What advice do you have for future students?
The experience is what you make of it. Of course there will be ThinkImpact staff to guide you on
your journey, but ultimately it is up to you to go out and experience, innovate, and work hard in
order to see the results you want at the end.
USC Marshall ThinkImpact – Student Feedback from Summer 2014
Student #3
Location: Rwanda
General Program Evaluation:
Overall, I was satisfied with the program: Strongly Agree
The program met my expectations: Strongly Agree
The program was a valuable learning experience: Strongly Agree
I felt immersed in the culture of the host country: Strongly Agree
I gained a better appreciation of the host culture: Strongly Agree
Support Services:
Orientation from ThinkImpact during the Institute: Very Satisfied
In-Country Training: Not applicable
End of Program Debrief: Very Satisfied
Communication with the USC Marshall Student Sevices Office: Very Satisfied
Overall Impression of the Support Services Offered: Not applicable
Accommodations:
Location of Housing Accommodations: Very Satisfied
Quality of Housing Accommodations: Very Satisfied
Additional Expenses
Travel to/from Country: $1000
General Costs: $50
General Travel: $100
Miscellaneous Supplies and Expenses: $100
Total Expenses: $1250
If you traveled independently outside the program, please write in your destination(s):
N/A
Did you incur any significant unexpected expenses that other students should be aware of?
N/A
Method of payment: Which payment option would you recommend future participants to
use for money while in the program?
Debit card, Credit Card
During your travels, did you experience any negative treatment that you felt was related to
your (select items):
I did not experience any negative treatment.
USC Marshall ThinkImpact – Student Feedback from Summer 2014
What ended up being your business ‘venture’ in your community?
My team started a business to store and sell locally-sourced grains in the community. We came
up with this venture by first identifying the issue of food storage and high transportation costs
to local markets. Our business will sell grains to members of the community within the
community thus eliminating the need to buy from far-away markets. Additionally, our team will
be using re-sealable plastic grain bags to store the crops. This will enable the grains to be stored
for a longer period of time and eliminates the use of pesticides.
Did your venture match with your interests and goals? Explain your experience.
Originally I was skeptical at the idea of our business because it was a different kind of
innovation. I was very proud of our team because this was THEIR project, their business, and
their idea.
Has participation in the program influenced your academic and/or career goals? How?
Profoundly so. I now am looking at careers in sustainable development, social enterprise, etc. I
can not imagine doing anything else in my life and am so glad I had this opportunity.
Why did you choose this program?
I wanted to have a hands-on experience with social entrepreneurship while learning more
about a particular culture.
What was the best part of the program?
The scholars and community members inspired me every single day. I have never been abroad
brighter, more motivated students in my life. Additionally, the people in the community were
very hardworking and inspiring in their own way.
What was your least favorite aspect of the program?
None.
What was the most challenging aspect of the program?
Trying to work with deadlines, time management, etc. in a culture that is not as concerned with
time.
Describe something that you are proud to have accomplished during your stay.
Inspiring my team.
What additional comments do you have? What advice do you have for future students?
Go!