June 28th- Ceremonia de Clausura and our last day in Cali

This morning we woke up to our last day in Colombia and all of us were feeling a variety of emotions regarding this phase of our project coming to an end. There was a definitive sadness as we realized that today would be our last day to spend with our host families, to walk the beautiful campus of the Javeriana, to spend time with our Colombian partners and teachers, and to drink a café tinto while enjoying the sights and sounds of Cali. However, there was also a strong sense of pride and gratitude among our group this morning. We had the opportunity to host a ceremonia de clausura, or a closing ceremony, to share what we have learned and accomplished here and to thank those who have made this experience unforgettable. 

With the help of our Spanish teachers and the Center of Languages at the Javeriana, we presented an excellent closing ceremony that started with us performing a song we had been working on since our first week. With the guidance of the talented Freddy Colorado, we learned how to play traditional instruments from the Colombian pacific coast and worked on a song "Qué Bonito" which we shared with the attendees in person and on Zoom. I'd like to think we made Freddy proud; we sang and played as if we had been practicing for months, rather than weeks!

After sharing our new musical talents, we sat down to talk in a "coffee- chat" style to share some of what we have learned throughout these past 4.5 weeks.  As it would have been impossible to share every new thing learned while in Cali, we divided our learning into three themes; hablando colombiano (speaking Colombian), excursiones (excursions), and cambios culturales (cultural changes). We shared the conversation around coffee as different group members guided our conversation. We had the opportunity to share what new words and phrases we learned while here like, vamos a parchar or parchear. We shared what we experienced and learned in our favorite excursions both in and outside of Cali like visiting Recuca, Nirvana Nature Reserve, and Silvia y las Mujeres Tejedoras, and finally, we shared what cultural changes we experienced while being here; like the food and modes of transport like motos. 

Our closing ceremony would not have been complete without taking the time to thank all of the people who welcomed us, taught us, and provided us with a true Colombian experience. Among those we needed to thank are our Spanish teachers, various professors at the Javeriana,  our contacts at the Centro of Idiomas, our transportation providers, and of course our host families. Our closing speech allowed us to thank each person by name and allow us space to express our unending gratitude. 

Fulbright-Hays group participants with our Spanish teachers at the Javeriana. 

After the ceremony, we ate our final group lunch at one of our favorite places to eat on the Javeriana campus, Juan Tapas, before heading back to our homestays to prepare for our departure. We had a whole afternoon to spend at our homestays cherishing our last few hours with our families before our flight at 12:50 am. Many of us spent this time packing our bags, making last visits to our favorite spots in Cali, and sharing in farewell dinners with our Colombian families. When we arrived to the airport later that night we were all filled with feelings of gratitude for the experience  and sadness for the fact that it has come to an end so quickly. 

Each of us has been profoundly changed by this experience both professionally and personally. We all have improved our Spanish skills and our understanding of Colombian culture. We have become better teachers with a better understanding of how to incorporate teaching for social justice in our classrooms. Overall we have grown  as more compassionate, flexible, and adaptable human beings as a result of this experience. 

All of this would not have been possible without the help of our Colombian hosts, Oscar Mora Sánchez and Alexander Fernández, both of whom have given up so much of their time before our arrival to prepare for our experience, as well as spent countless hours supporting us as we navigated our new Colombian home. We are very grateful to the two of them for all of their time, effort, and patience with us.

Last but certainly not least, as a group, we want to thank our leader, Dr. Diane Ceo-DiFranceso, who has guided us along this journey before our departure and walked with us every step of the way throughout our travels to, through, and from Colombia. We would not be sharing these experiences if it were not for her vision, her guidance, and her support. We are so eternally grateful and look forward to working together on the next phase of the project with her back in Cincinnati.