Over Spring Break, four Harding students traveled to Granada, Nicaragua, with Advint International, a brand-new organization that is seeking to provide an inexpensive and safe alternative study abroad program.
2011 Harding alumnus JC Hite launched Advint in January with the goal of combining adventure with “intention.” Hite said that “intention” is his favorite word because being intentional holds people to a high standard that helps drive them to their greatest potential.
“Whether it is learning a language, building relationships or working at your job, it takes intention to build what you are working toward to perfection,” Hite said.
Hite said Advint is unique because of its low prices, customizable programs and focus on culture immersion. The Harding students who traveled to Nicaragua stayed in host homes, studied in language school for two hours each morning, volunteered at a local elementary school and went on exciting excursions every afternoon.
Photographer and senior Ashel Parsons traveled with the group to Nicaragua. While she helped to document the experience for future Advint publications, Parsons was also able to experience each part of the program. Parsons said she has been out of the country several times and has seen many cultures and languages, but this is the first time she has developed a desire to learn and become fluent in a foreign language.
Junior Tyler Phillips, who also went on the trip and had previously taken Spanish classes at Harding, said she was surprised at the intensity of the Spanish lessons. She said she really enjoyed studying with her Nicaraguan tutor, but her favorite part was staying with her host family.
“Staying with the family really connected me to the culture,” Phillips said. “I got to live exactly how they live.”
In addition to offering trips for groups of all sizes, Hite said Advint allows for individuals to go on a program by themselves. Hite said Advint has carefully selected safe and convenient locations for their schools in Montañita, Ecuador; Antigua, Guatemala; and Granada, Nicaragua.
Hite said he has designed Advint to not only benefit the American participants, but also to help the lives of the teachers in the host countries. Hite said in the next five years, he hopes to employ 200 teachers around Latin America through the Advint language schools.
Hite also said he hopes students will walk away from an Advint experience with new language skills, an appreciation for the family atmosphere of Latin communities and a deeper understanding of the culture.
For more information about Advint and its customizable group and individual trips, visit www.goadvint.com.
