Over spring break, the Fordham Global Outreach (GO!) program sent students on volunteer trips to five different locations: Puerto Rico, Ireland, Honduras, El Salvador and Peru. GO! is a student-led service program rooted in learning social justice issues firsthand. 

Steven Laureano, FCRH ’25, co-led the GO! trip to El Salvador. His team partnered with Christians for Peace in El Salvador (CRISPAZ), an organization dedicated to promoting peace and justice by amplifying the voices of those affected by violence and oppression.

“This was my first time leading a trip, and since I was a co-leader, I was able to lead with one of my closest friends,” Laureano shared. “I think this helped boost the trip’s morale and helped the students deal with the heavy content that we all learned.”

Throughout their time in El Salvador, the group engaged with community partners as well as individuals who were directly impacted by the country’s civil war. A particularly memorable experience for the team was their two-night homestay in Arcatao, where they lived with local families and saw firsthand how the war had affected the area. 

“My favorite part was learning about El Salvador’s resilience, which set the tone for our trip,” Laureano said. “Through all the content we covered, our group stayed strong and kept a positive attitude, we never faltered.”

The trip included 13 participants, two student leaders, one faculty chaperone and 10 undergraduate students. Laureano found the experience to be overwhelmingly positive. 

“Figuring out how to navigate different personalities can be difficult, but everyone meshed and flowed well together,” he said. “This was a really strong group, guided by curiosity and genuine care for El Salvador’s history.” For Laureano, this was his third and final GO! trip before graduating, following previous experiences in California and South Africa.

Alexa Carmona, FCRH ’26, led the Honduras trip after participating in GO! for two years. Her team partnered with the Olancho Aid Foundation (OAF), and worked alongside students from the University of Scranton to volunteer in local schools. “It was an honor to lead a GO! trip after participating for two years and having wanted to lead since my sophomore year,” Carmona said. “I picked a great team, and we vibed well with each other. That showed when we were working with the University of Scranton and the different kids we met at the schools.”

Each day, the group assisted teachers in classrooms and formed strong bonds with the children they worked with. These interactions quickly became the highlight of the experience. 

“Our favorite parts as a team were working together in the classrooms and connecting with the kids,” Carmona said. “Every day, we came back talking about the kids we spoke to and wished we could have spent more time with them.”

The Honduras trip included 10 participants, one chaperone and Carmona as the sole student leader. Carmona felt well-prepared thanks to GO! leader training and the support of her chaperone. 

“It was a roller coaster at times, but nothing I couldn’t handle,” she said. “Our group dynamic was always in sync; no one ever felt out of place or couldn’t speak up when needed. Whether dealing with internal group issues or challenges outside our group, we always handled things together.”