Last day on the work site. The kitchen  for the school has come along nicely and we can see our efforts becoming reality. In our two weeks here we were able to fence, dig, and prepare the building site. Although the concrete was unable to be completed during our time, the kitchen will soon be ready. 

Following construction, we played soccer with the children:

It is touching that, although we will soon be departing, the memories and friendships formed building a kitchen and connections made with the Ecuadorian people and Amazon nature will endure.

Our last night at the lodge:

I have truly had an incredible experience with Microsoft in Ecuador. I will miss being with the 4 other winners of the global YouthSpark Challenge for Change on a daily basis: Satya from India, Juan Carlos from Mexico, Dominic from the Philippines, and Sara from the United States.

I am grateful to my family, friends, church family, mentors, and communities who have supported me and my project, Science for Success, to encourage young girls to love science and explore careers in STEM. Thank you to everyone who voted when I was 1 of 20 Gloabl Finalists selected by Microsoft Corporation; thanks to your votes I was 1 of the 5 winners of the Microsoft Challenge for Change. As a winner, journeying to the Amazon to build the kitchen for an indigenous school in Ecuador has been a very rewarding experience. I enjoyed working as a team volunteering, building with purpose to improve education, learning about Ecuadorian culture, and being immersed in the beauty of the Amazon nature. From my fellow winners, I listened and learned more about their passion and plans to spark change in their communities. 

I am proud to be a YouthSpark Ambassador and receive Microsoft funding for Science for Success. I am eager for what is to come.