Zoe ’26, describes the emotions of seeing the completion of the house build.
Our final day on the trip was filled with a rollercoaster of different emotions. We started the finishing touches of the house like painting, decorating, and observing. I took a moment when painting the house to step back and because it was all coming together it really hit me how much progress our group had made. On the first day I felt a bit uneasy about our ability to pull together a house in such a short amount of time, especially when I looked at the bricks stacked only three blocks high. As I recalled the sweat and labor I had put into the building of the house the previous days, it seemed so worth the temporary pain when I was able to see the successful structure, design, and character the house radiated. I would like to highlight the pure joy and pride shown on Santos (the father to whose house this will be) face when he was putting finishing touches on the house. I have come to realize that the smile that stays as plastered on his face as the cement on the walls was the reason I was able to persevere through the sweaty hard days that felt like they would never end. The biggest gift I have received on the trip is the ability to be proud of my work and where I come from just as Santos so humbly demonstrated to us students throughout the whole build. Although the language barrier got in the way of me and Santos slightly because I don’t speak good Spanish, our interactions often included exchanging popsicle flavors and him gifting me with napkins (a rare sighting on the work sight). I wish to take his generous nature with me everywhere I go and I hope to never forget his smile.
