There is a quote from the poet Mary Oliver: “What is it you plan to do with your wild and precious life?” My mom and I had this question in mind as we planned our summer travel to volunteer in rural Nicaragua.

I created a website to let friends and family know about our volunteer project, and to raise money. I named my project Vida Animal, which means Anmial Life. My aim was to get hands-on experience with animals, learn about veterinary medicine, work directly with a community, have an immersion in spanish language, and to experience rural Nicaraguan culture.

I funded three sterilization and preventative care veterinary clinics in Nicaragua. Participating in these, and helping the local vet in his practice, taught me about courage, curiosity, and what it means to be a global citizen. The experience was incredible– I learned about myself and my strengths, followed my interest in veterinary medicine and interacted with locals in a helpful way.

This project was with La Mariposa Spanish School, a local NGO that supports many humanitarian and animal rescue projects in a rural Nicaraguan communities. La Mariposa is special to my family as we visited in 2018, and it was a life changing experience for us. This July my mom and I returned to volunteer, helping with the animal rescue projects, and to do the dog/cat sterilization clinics. These clinics are offered free of charge to impoverished barrios (neighborhoods) around La Conception, where La Mariposa is located. The clinics are beneficial to the animals, and support public health in these communities.

The atmosphere at the clinics was fascinating. It was an incredible community event. Children watched the surgeries, curious and totally unfazed. Owners held their animals' heads while during the operations, and carried them away still under anesthesia. The local vet taught me about dog/cat anatomy, and how to do surgery start to finish. At first I assisted the vet, and by the third clinic I performed over a dozen surgeries on my own, and gave hundreds of injections. This is an experiance I could never have had in the US, and I am grateful for this opportunity to learn, and to interact with the community in a meaningful way. It gave me a window into what veterinary medicine is truly like, and put my curiosity, courage, and Spanish to the test. (The vet and locals did not speak English.) I learned about adapting to the intensity of the project, and found that I could concentrate on surgeries–which were outdoors on a small metal table, with lots of people looking on, and sometimes with chickens landing on my head!

During my time in Nicaragua I wrote reflections and updates to share this experience with others. I will continue my work with La Mariposa as I am working with their board of directors, with a focus on advocating for the animal projects. I feel inspired and empowered. Though I am just 16 years old, I have learned that I can have a meaningful impact on a community.

I have strong interest in science, particularly veterinary medicine, conservation, and animal behavior. I am also interested in writing projects to influence environmental policy and new forms of science education. My Vida Animal project was an incredible experience in showing me what is possible, and what I can do with my “one wild and precious life.”