Greetings from Venezuela! My name is Melissa McCurties. I am in my sophomore year at Principia and I am interested in sociology and Spanish. I live in Godfrey, Ill., and am the oldest of four children. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, running and watching movies. I want to say "hi" to my best buds Ashley, Hayley, Elise, Sarah and Catherine. But I also want to give a big hug and kiss to my sweetheart, Garrett Ames. Lastly, I want to say thank you to my parents, who made this trip possible. My focus topic on this trip is learning more the effects of bilingual education on all levels of the school system.