Tanisha Thelemaque

Tanisha Thelemaque traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to volunteer with HIV-affected children. She worked with Fundamind, a well-respected local organization devoted to aiding and educating HIV-affected families, in addition to caring for 19 three-year olds. Although initially overwhelmed, she soon learned to effectively communicate in Spanish, create a wonderful relationship with the enseñas, or teachers, and develop a new found love and respect for children. Tanisha cherished every moment with the children and learned as much about herself as she did the Spanish language. During her free time, Tanisha took in every possible aspect of the laid-back Argentine culture; she went to all of the major tourist sites as well as hidden local hotspots, and she interviewed every person that she could in order to learn about their life journeys, which would have a corresponding impact on hers. As a result of her experience in Argentina, Tanisha plans to pursue a career as an adolescent psychotraumatologist, helping children mentally cope with any trauma that they have faced.