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17 November 2016

Life is just a cumulative final #HogsAbroad in Belize


In college terms, life is just a cumulative final. You learn all semester long and have to know everything for this huge, all-inclusive test at the end. It seems as though all my experiences through college have helped me in one way or another on this trip…and yet I still had things to mess up and learn from! For example, teaching Supplemental Instruction classes have helped so much as I start training the STACA staff on how to use the QuickBooks software.

One thing that I was not prepared for was the language barrier and the need for clear communication. I found that you have to change the style of communication for each person that you are interacting with and that it is important to maintain a level of respect for everyone. The short time period for this project intensifies the need for learning how to communicate.

It has been quite the challenge to find the best way to help STACA without overstepping too much. Many times with projects that an outsider comes in and helps to consult with an organization, the consultant forgets to listen and let the organization guide the direction of the change. The organization’s leaders will ultimately know what is best and the outsider is simply a facilitator.

I think that is why I am most excited about this portion of the project, because I feel that it is the most important. The training that I give to the leaders at STACA will have the most influence on how supportive the accounting software truly is to the organization.


Brooke participated in an International Internship in Belize during summer 2016 
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Read more from Brooke at https://brookeswanderings.wordpress.com/
To find more internship and study abroad opportunities within Walton College, visit http://walton.uark.edu/global/index.php