I spent my Leadership-In-Action experience at Medellin, Colombia working with MakeSense Americas. My specific project was with Casa Tres Patios which is a non-profit organization working with adolescents and previously incarcerated individuals. There were a total of 9 scholars within my cohort, and owing to our similar interests and the fact that we lived in the same location, we were all friends and worked really closely together. With my specific project with Casa Tres Patios, I was teamed with two other individuals who also go to college in the United States: Anannyabrata Mandal and Kayla Morrison. 

With regards to the work we did with Casa Tres Patios, we were mainly focused on trying to help them craft a local workshop which they then can use to generate revenue and cover their administrative costs. At the end of the project, we were able to pilot the project we were working on which materialized in the form of a walking tour of Prado that would be advertised to tourists. The MakeSense team attended the pilot of the event and it was an all-round positive experience for everyone. 

Other than the walking tour, we were also trying to collaborate with Casa Tres Patios on identifying foreign funding opportunities. To that end, my teammates identified international organizations and funds that work with entities like Casa Tres Patios. 

Although we were only in Medellin for about 6 weeks, we were able to learn a lot about Casa Tres Patios and the impact it is trying to have within Medellin. The people who work there- Tony and Carolina- are very passionate about the work they do and were as engaged with making our experience a success as we were. With regards to the continuous impact of the work we did, we hope that the walking tour is successful beyond the pilot event we hosted for it and is able to generate enough revenue to cover the administrative costs of the organization. Moreover, as there is a spreadsheet of foreign funding opportunities that was compiled initially by the organization with some input from us, we hope that some of the grant applications are successful and help support the various workshops Casa Tres Patios organizes not only for adolescents and formerly incarcerated individuals but also for the community at large. 

Reflecting on time in Medellin, I wish I had known some Spanish before arriving at the location. Even though we were staying in Laureles which is mostly a touristy area, it was impossible to get around without knowing some working Spanish. To that end, I am grateful for the other members of my cohort who knew some Spanish and were helping me navigate simple things such as ordering at restaurants or going grocery shopping. 

However, other than the language barrier, Medellin was a very warm and welcoming place. I would go as far as to say that it has been the place I have felt the most welcomed at since leaving my home for college. The people are super friendly, and they are always ready to be helpful in any way they can. This was also the case with the volunteers we were working with. On top of helping us with the projects, they were suggesting places we could visit and eat at, and some went as far as inviting us to birthday celebrations even though they had only known us for a few weeks at that point. 

Overall, I had a truly life-changing experience at Medellin and enjoyed working with MakeSense Americas and Casa Tres Patios. I appreciated the chance to collaborate not only with the aforementioned stakeholders but also with university student volunteers who were very knowledgeable and helpful. Although I was only there for 6 weeks, I believe and hope that the work we accomplished with Casa Tres Patios has an impact beyond the length of our stay and helps the organization achieve its central tenets.