Hi everyone! My name is Mary McTeague and I will be the blog coordinator for International Studies 239: Roatan: Ethical Engagement in a Changing World. I am a sophomore at Luther College with a passion for conservation and learning new things! Therefore, I am studying environmental science at Luther college and I plan on minoring in Spanish. Additionally, I love to read and hope to incorporate English into my studies as well. My lifelong love of conservation and the environment, as well as my interest in Spanish, drew me to this course and I am beyond excited to get started!

Roatan is a tropical island off the coast of Honduras and is home to the 2nd largest coral reef in the world. There is a large tourist industry on the island as well as a history of colonialism. In this course we will be engaging with how different changes, both social and environmental, affect life on the island.

All of us students will be working at an internship during our time in Roatan. These internships are in a number of fields including work in conservation, education, and healthcare. Our experiences at our internships, as well as group activities, will help give us an insight into how Roatan is affected by social and environmental challenges.

We depart for Roatan on January 4th and I invite you to follow along as my fellow students and I share our adventures with you!