Rachel Holowecky
  • criminal justice and psychology
  • Class of 2017
  • Amherst, OH

Rachel Holowecky experiences Baldwin Wallace University's Seminar in Ecuador

2015 Mar 5

Rachel Holowecky of Amherst was one of 12 students to participate in Baldwin Wallace University's Seminar in Ecuador. The seminar is an enriching Explorations/Study Abroad program that offers students 10 weeks of living and learning in Ecuador with Dr. Michael Melampy, professor of biology.

Holowecky, a graduate of Firelands High School majoring in biology, lived with an Ecuadorian host family in Fall 2014 and traveled through the Galapagos Islands, the Pacific coast, the highlands, and the lowlands of Ecuador. All of the students on the trip were enrolled in biology, Spanish and political science classes and earned a total of 18 credit hours.

Over the course of the seminar, Holowecky and the other students took part in diverse activities. At the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the Amazonian lowlands, they explored rainforest ecology and researched the distribution of amphibians and butterflies and the foraging preferences of spiders and ants.

In the Galapagos Islands, students learned about invasive plants, assisted with eradicating invasive blackberry plants at the Jatun Sacha Foundation and saw many amazing species, including tortoises, marine iguanas and Darwin's finches. Students came away understanding that international support is critical to the protection of the islands.

The trip also included a visit to northern Ecuador where a local environmental organization is campaigning to prevent environmentally destructive, large-scale mining. Students witnessed first-hand how national and local interests can conflict on natural resource management.

The last five weeks were spent in Cuenca studying Spanish while living with Ecuadorian families. It was a very rich experience as they progressed rapidly with their Spanish and learned to cope with the novelties of a foreign culture. Learning about the concerns that people in Cuenca have for their future made it possible for the students to examine culture in the U.S. from a new perspective.

The BW's Explorations/Study Abroad Center engages students through global exploration and off-campus study that enhances personal growth, educational enrichment, and career development as part of the university's liberal arts effort to cultivate contributing and compassionate citizens. The Center encourages strong communication skills, enhanced critical thinking and reasoning abilities, and the personal confidence gained from trekking the unknown.