Ecuador #2

Created By

Casey Collins

Hi there! I’m a rising Junior from Charlotte, North Carolina studying Spanish, Global Studies, and Economics at UNC-Chapel Hill. In the Summer of 2014 I undertook an independent research project in Ecuador through the generous funding of the Carolina Undergraduate Health Fellowship through the Center for Global Initiatives. I spent most of my time studying the huge national healthcare reform that began around 7 years ago in Ecuador through contacts I made in the Ecuadorian Ministry of Public Health. After interviewing around a dozen national officials on a variety of healthcare topics, my interests led me to focus on how the recent increases in healthcare resources are becoming accessible at local levels in some of the lowest-income, rural, often indigenous communities in the Amazon, Sierra and Coastal regions of the country. About half of my time was spent living with a (wonderful) host family in Quito, and the other half was spent traveling to different regions of the country for research and personal travel. Outside of my research, some of my favorite memories of the summer are running an international half-marathon in Quito, summiting a few volcanoes with a local group, and surfing the waves of a small fishing village on the coast. My experience in Ecuador allowed me an incredible chance to learn more about myself and place within the world, to further and refine an interest in international development, and to newly appreciate aspects of both Ecuadorian and US culture. My current academic plans are to pursue an Honor’s Thesis relevant to some of my research this past summer, and then to explore graduate school or government employment opportunities relevant to development economics and Latin America. The seven weeks I spent this summer in Ecuador were great in so many ways–I already miss speaking Spanish with my host family and waking up to the beautiful geography of Ecuador so much. Hopefully I will be able to return soon for continued research or vacation!