Holisss!😊
When we first flew into Mexico, I honestly thought this would feel like a school competition field trip. I expected class to follow the simple lecture structure at Rice plus fun excursions. But instead, this experience flipped every expectation I had.
Our classes came alive in a way they simply couldn’t have in a traditional classroom. Being surrounded by real communities facing real water challenges made the lectures, labs, and projects feel urgent, human, and deeply relevant. We weren’t just talking about solutions; we were seeing them implemented, and in many cases, we were learning why they fail or succeed.
💧 Rethinking Water Treatment
Before this trip, I saw water access primarily as an issue about whether water was available or not. But over the last few weeks, I’ve realized just how complex and layered the issue really is.
In San Cristóbal, carrying water from La Kisst, preparing our own Moringa and UV disinfection samples, and speaking with NGOs taught me that water access also involves time, labor, and inequity. Many families, especially women and children, spend significant parts of their day collecting and managing water.
So now, when I think about designing water systems, I don’t just ask: “Does this purify the water?” I also ask: “Does this add or reduce burden? Is this sustainable? Will it be used five years from now?”
It’s easy to design a filter. It’s much harder to design a system that fits the daily life, needs, and constraints of a community, especially one with limited financial resources.
🫱🏽🫲🏼 What NGOs Taught Me
One of the most impactful aspects of this trip was meeting with NGOs across Mexico, including Isla Urbana, Tseinan, and Cántaro Azul. Each had a different approach, but the best ones had something in common: they listened first and designed second.
Before this trip, I thought of nonprofit work as mostly short-term aid or donation-based. Now, I understand how powerful and complex long-term, systems-based nonprofit work can be. Organizations like Cántaro Azul not only create water purification devices, but they also work to address the root causes of inequality, train community leaders, and advocate for policy changes.
They showed us what it looks like when engineering is embedded in trust, follow-up, and co-creation. And they also showed us what happens when NGOs don’t do this, devices are abandoned, burdens are increased, and trust is lost.
🎒 The Study Abroad Experience
This study abroad experience taught me more than I could have imagined about water, yes, but also about how learning happens when you’re immersed in the context of your subject.
Classes like CEVE 314 and EDES 350 felt different here. We were constantly tying theory to reality:
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Testing moringa samples in a city facing turbidity issues
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Reverse-engineering filters while sitting across from the people who might use them
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Carrying water and realizing what that really means
Compared to my classes at Rice, this experience felt more personal, more emotional, and more urgent. It added new layers to my education, especially around ethics, community engagement, and the responsibilities that come with being a designer and engineer.
💙 Final Thoughts
I’m incredibly grateful for this experience! Grateful for Dr. Loyo & Dr. Hunter, who guided us, the NGOs, who opened their doors, and my classmates, who very quickly became friends and made every long walk and late night worth it.
I’m leaving Mexico with new knowledge, new questions, and a stronger sense of what kind of engineer and person I want to be.
This wasn’t just a class. It was a major turning point for me in my life and career.
And I’ll carry these memories, the food, the laughs, the rainstorms, the moringa seeds, the cute street dogs, the fun nights out, the incredible views, the beautiful scenery, and the lessons forever.
💫 Final Photo Dump!
Cool street named Mexicanidad!
Our visit to Frankie’s school!
Cafe Historico, the best study place!
Cantaro Azul’s many prototypes!
Cute street dogs!
Our visit to Pequeño Sol, an elementary school that takes a huge initiative towards sustainability!
Thank you for following me through my journey through Mexico!
I think it is important to me, especially in the times we are living in, to recognize the hard work of the amazing and kindest people we met! Meeting all these people, learning about their lives, and seeing all these sites made me proud to be Latina.
I feel so blessed, honored, and humbled to be able to live and experience Mexico. Te amo, mi México querido!💖
Bye besties!😝🥹