"Truly amazing": Massey students return from month long scholarship trip to Colombia
A group of ten Communications students have returned from Bogotá, Colombia, after being awarded a Prime Ministers Scholarship to Latin America.
Second year PR student, Nikki Harris, has been studying Spanish for years, making this trip a dream come true.
After returning home two weeks ago, she tells Massive, “When I saw this opportunity, it felt too good to be true, but the trip still exceeded my expectations in so many ways.”
“I wanted to fully immerse myself in the language and the culture, while also learning more about the subject of climate action through the arts.”
To encourage collaboration with Latin America, the government scholarship provides funding for travel, accommodation, study, and work placements.
Despite Aotearoa and Colombia being so far apart, Harris said the countries aren't all that different. “We're such far apart countries but with so many similarities, like the push for indigenous recognition, the biodiversity and climate missions all aligning.”
She said the trip helped to disprove negative stereotypes around Colombia. The country is often remembered for its history in cocaine in the 1990s, however, Harris suggests there is more to Colombia.
The students would start their day with a fully paid breakfast at the university, Universidad de los Andes (University of the Andes). Most days, the group would either head to Spanish class or the local markets to explore. Lunch, usually of arepas, was followed by theatre class with the Colombian students and members of The Bronx creative community group.
The Bronx sits in the heart of Bogotá and can be known as a dangerous neighbourhood. The community there has not had things easy, as the area was destroyed by the national police in 2016 as its resolution to the drug problem.
Harris appreciated all parts of Colombia history, “walking on streets with such a deep history was truly amazing, learning about centuries old buildings and traditions carried through generations opened up my eyes so much to how rich the culture goes.”
Coming from Aotearoa, Harris couldn't grasp the size of where she was. “I still don't think I can fully understand just how massive Colombia is and how much diversity there is. Just Bogotá alone has almost three million more people than all of New Zealand.”
Massey teachers Elspeth Tilley and Leonel Alvarado went along on the trip supporting the students. This was not their first rodeo, as the teachers also went along in 2023.
