Today on the pod we welcome Vanesia Dedmon, who is an alum of Carpe Mundi’s semester in Spain and Morocco from the spring of 2019.

Carpe Mundi is a non-profit organization that provides low-income, first-generation Portland college students with a year-long mentorship and scholarship program that includes an experiential education study abroad program. Their mission is to empower low-income college students to reach their full potential through international learning experiences and mentorship. You can learn more about their program online at https://www.carpemundi.org/ or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/carpemundipdx/?hl=en.

Vanesia shares with us some of her favorite stories from her gap time, including a journal excerpt from her first impressions of landing in Morocco at the beginning of her journey, to hiking the Camino de Santiago, to her first experience at a traditional Hammam. She also shares with us some of the most important pieces students should focus on to prepare for an experience of this nature, and some of the biggest takeaways that have continued to impact her life today.