Sara: "I not only identify as a female college student, but I also identify as Hispanic and a Christian. Having these different cultural identities has allowed me to have a set of diverse connections that I believe allows me to succeed further in life. Visiting the Mexican consulate was a way for me to visit memory lane. I remember going to the Mexican consulate in Omaha, Nebraska with my parents when I was younger. It was really cool to see how the location in Dallas has innovated a way to give information relating to health to this community through La Ventanilla de Salud. "

Grace: "Not only do you learn through personal experience, you also learn from hearing about other people's experiences as well. This was a key factor while in Dallas because we did not have enough time there to experience the health care setting for ourselves. While talking to clients at Aids Interfaith Network, we were able to hear about their perspective of navigating healthcare access while being HIV positive. While I have never experienced many of the struggles they have, I can take the time to learn from them and gain perspective on the issues that persist. From this experience, I can work to be an active citizen, being vocal about the healthcare issues that affect them. "

Jenna: "This trip opened my eyes to cultural differences among one another and within an area. The members of our Hawkeye service team all contributed in their individual way making our group what it was. Due to our different upbringings and views of life, we all learned from each other while working together. Personally, I learned more about the different identities that I have through our service partners. It was eye opening to be in poverty stricken areas within Dallas because I began to see my way of life as different. Our differences in cultural identifies make up who we are and influence how we interact with others. "

Kelsey: "This trip has positively impacted my life through serving the Dallas community. I now realize what service means and what I can do to make an impact on others. Before this service trip, I was individually unaware about different cultural identities. Coming from a small, farming town in Iowa, I never had to classify myself as a member of a particular culture. After taking part in this eye opening service trip, I feel better educated on different cultural identities. I now understand that anything from race, nationality, and gender all correlate back to cultural identity."