Travel Day Reflections

Ryan: To be honest, I had quite a lot of apprehensions about how invested I would be in immigration going into this trip. Reflecting on those concerns now, I'm realizing that they were all relatively unfounded. By conversing with various speakers, from professors to actual immigrants who have crossed the border, I was able to incorporate their stories into an enriched personal worldview regarding the asylum seekers. I can't express how thankful I am for this opportunity to get a first-person perspective into the issue of immigration and will continue to study it in the future.

Abby: Looking back on this trip, I don't even have the words to describe how it has expanded and changed my worldview. Most importantly, it has taught me to embrace the humanity of people. Instead of viewing migrants and asylum-seekers as a mass of individuals with one sole purpose - to cross the border - I've now learned to embrace them with empathy and realize that each person has their own purpose and motivation for migration. 

Eron: This was a really eye-opening experience for me. Going into the trip, I didn't have high expectations. However, through talking to different members of the community, I was able to see the immigration issue from many different perspectives. Overall, I am leaving the trip with a higher sense of empathy for immigrants and a desire to make a change in this issue. 

Mitali: I really enjoyed the experiences and values I gained through this trip. Meeting different people within the community— such as Carmen Hernandez— taught me the importance of family and taught me civil responsibility to help others in every way I can. Overall, I took away a sense of humility and gained some perspective on how I can make a difference in the world. 

Trey: This trip was extremely influential and has changed my outlook on the immigration system forever.  By talking to numerous speakers we learned about the hardships of being an immigrant through immigration acts placed to oppress them.  Overall I am leaving the trip with a new found appreciation of my life as an American citizen.  

Malia: This trip was a very valuable experience for me. I think that learning about immigration through hearing others stories and experiences left me with a deeper understanding then learning about it in a classroom would have. Overall I really enjoyed my time learning and having fun with my classmates.

Charlie: This trip really opened my mind to what is truly going on at the border. After listening to many experts speak on the asylum seeking process, I feel much less ignorant about the very multifaceted immigration process. I will leave this trip with a new view on life opportunities.

Jimena: Going into this experience, I wasn't too sure on what to expect. Immigration has been an issue that's always interested me, but I didn't know too much about it from a political stance. This trip hasn't only enlightened me, it's also helped me grow my consciousness regarding the complexities of this issue all while making stronger bonds with my classmates. 

Beck: This experience was really eye opening. What we learn from the media about the border does not accurately portray the complexity of the situation.  At home, we fail to recognize the cultural and humanitarian ramifications of dividing communities and more importantly families. I am so appreciative for this trip allowing me to shed my ignorance and see the border for what it is.

Madison: This trip was a great experience for me personally. I particularly enjoyed connecting with members of the community through hearing their immigration stories and volunteering at the food bank and shelter.

Nick: This experience exceeded every expectation I came into it with. Everything we did expanded our horizons on the immigration crisis and taught us the way in which the media can depict innocent civilians looking to find refugee as criminals. Additionally one of the great things about this trip were the speakers and the way that each one came in overlapping each others ideas cementing them further while adding something new and insightful. 

Vanessa: At the beginning of this experience I wasn't too sure what would happen; however, I learned a lot. This experience helped me learn about issues pertaining to immigration and gain a greater understanding of the process. Lastly, I was able to learn about others and make new friendships along the way. 

Alex: This experience taught me the value of humility through learning the stories of various leaders within the immigration field. While I came into the trip with the mentality that immigration law is centered on statistics, I'm leaving El Paso with a renewed understanding of the emotional toll that asylum policies have on immigrants, which I hope to carry with me to the classroom, the workplace, and beyond.

Charlotte: During this trip, I gained a greater sense of gratitude towards the opportunities I have back at home, especially having listened to the stories of immigrants themselves and seeing the process of immigration and asylum. One thing I will leave behind is the single-minded mentality I had on the process of immigration and the experiences immigrants have when coming to the US.