Erin Sanislo
2018
Quito, Ecuador
Quito: Music for Social Change and Opportunity
Erin Sanislo (2018: Quito, Ecuador) will partner with Manna Project International as a Volunteer Program Director to advance literacy and expand arts and creative programming in the Chillos Valley community outside Quito. Based in Rumiloma, she will develop and enhance programs at the organization’s library, community center, and teen center, supporting children and teens through educational, creative, and recreational activities.
My name is Erin, but you may know me as my Spanish name “Elena.” I have studied Spanish my whole life, and love how Spanish allows me to form relationships, connect to cultures, and experience other countries in the context of my second language.
Since language acquisition and sharing it with others makes me tick, I double-majored in Spanish and Corporate Communication. I graduated from Belmont University in December 2017. Some highlights of my time in college include studying abroad in Argentina, Turkey, and Spain, walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, and writing my senior thesis on the pilgrimage.
During my time at Belmont, I realized that I wanted to use my Spanish skills for a purpose outside of my personal benefit. My journey to Ecuador on a Lumos award will be a wonderful opportunity to use my Spanish serving in a community development setting. I hope to pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching Spanish and become a Spanish teacher.
More about me....
Home Town: Woodbury, MN
Major(s): Spanish & Corporate Communication
Country Highlights
My Stories
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Home from Ecuador: Final Reflection
The last 3.5 months were filled with highs, lows, and lots of unknowns in Ecuador. For the first time, I ran community programs
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Three-Month Update from Ecuador
I’ve passed the three-month mark in Ecuador, and can’t be happier about my progress advancing my Lumos goals. The Manna Project community center’s
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A Day in the Life: A Wednesday in Ecuador
8:30 am – I wake up and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast with some guayusa. Coffee isn’t popular in
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English in Ecuador
I recently started volunteering with one of the Manna Project’s partners, Chaupitena. Chaupitena is a local public school in the Chillos Valley for
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Behind the Smiling Faces
As I open the door to Manna Project every afternoon, I hear the running footsteps of excited children racing up the stairs to
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Voluntourism – Volunteer or Tourist?
One of the responsibilities of Program Directors at the Manna Project is to coordinate and run spring break service trips. During the first
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In the Swing of Things
17 days in Ecuador down! I’ve acclimatized to the altitude, learned how to navigate the bus system, spent a week with a host
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From Ecuador, With Love
First full week in Ecuador: check. I’m currently in the final step of my Ecuador orientation: my host family stay. The Huertas live
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Day One in Ecuador and Meeting Manna
I have officially stepped foot in South America! I arrived at 11:30 pm on Saturday, Jan. 7, but my partner organization had the
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Ecuador in Two Words: “Buen Vivir!”
An Ecuadorian friend recently summed up his country in two words for me: Buen vivir. Buen vivir means “good living” in Spanish, and
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Everything About Ecuador
T-minus 26 days until I fly to Quito, Ecuador to begin my journey serving on a Lumos award! This little country that sits
