While deciding to spend my spring break with ten strangers on a Beyond Bama trip to Orlando, Florida was initially intimidating and far outside my comfort zone, it turned out to be more memorable and rewarding than I ever imagined. Not only was the service impactful on the surrounding community, but I learned how one … More One Thousand Cranes

Spending the past 7 days on this service trip to Orlando has been one of the most profound and inspiring experiences of my entire college career. As a college student, it is so easy to lose sight of the purpose and reasoning behind the service that we do. We can fall into a deep cycle … More Small Acts, Large Impact

Magic begins with you. Riding through Give Kids the World on their friendly neighborhood train, JJ’s express, I saw magic coming alive in the kids eyes that helped me conduct JJ. Give Kids the World is a nonprofit that allows children with life-threatening illnesses and their families to live in their own amusement park for … More Magic Begins with You

Life-changing Humble Introspective Energizing Uplifting Excitement Optimistic Beauty Inspirational Joy These were the words that my Beyond Bama economic development team used to describe our first day of service in the resilient community of Los Fierros, Nicaragua last week. And those feelings have only grown stronger since landing back in the U.S. As I scramble … More Words from Los Fierros

Although a humble town, Los Fierros is home to some of Nicaragua’s most breathtaking mountainous landscapes and green foliage. Los Fierros is a town with little resources, but an abundance of beauty, passion, and friendship. The people of this Nicaraguan town are always willing to open their arms, homes, and kitchens to guests. During the … More Beauty in hardship

Nicaragua was a great experience for me. I really enjoyed meeting the people and interacting with the children. This is a picture of Greydi, the daughter of one of the teachers in the community I worked with, Los Fierros. -Tamia Fluker, sophomore Criminal Justice Major from Grove Hill, Alabama  

My name is Sylvia and I traveled with The University of Alabama’s Beyond Bama group to spend my spring break in Nicaragua with Panorama. Over the course of the week, my eyes were open to many new things. This was my first time out of the country and it was truly life changing. I was with the … More A week of firsts

I expected a week of manual labor and the tedious repetition of picking coffee beans. I was prepared to have reflections that took these menial tasks and turned them into some larger life lesson. I was packed and ready for the week with more supplies than I would ever need. I thought I was all … More Day 1 in Nicaragua!

This week has been full of love, laughter, bug spray, and sunscreen. Ending our week in Nicaragua with the chance to explore more of its culture was amazing! From the people of Nicaragua, to the boat ride that ended our last full day, it’s hard to leave. But this is not a goodbye, this is … More This is not adios…this is hasta luega!