Three months in Uganda seems like a long time when you’re looking at the experience from the beginning. But when you’re only four days away from leaving, those few months suddenly don’t feel like enough. From the moment you step off the plane, it’s like drinking from a fire hose. There are so many people to meet, so many places to explore, and so much to learn. You want to take it all in, but how can you
This summer, I learned that an international experience is not just about what you gain; it is also about what you give. Working in international development is not a zero-sum game. I have learned just as much from the students and communities of Uganda as they have learned from me, if not more. What I didn’t expect was just how deeply the people of Uganda would impact me. In a short amount of time, I started to find my people. Looking back, I realize that my experience was shaped not only by the places I visited or the work I completed, but by the people I chose to let into my life.
I think we all have two choices when we enter a new place. We can keep our heads down, do our work, avoid getting attached, and leave when the job is done. It’s the easier option. Or we can open our hearts and minds to the people around us and allow ourselves to be changed by them. The second choice is much harder because it makes saying goodbye so much more painful. But it also makes every experience richer, more meaningful, and more human.
This summer shifted my perspective to one simple question: How lucky am I?
How lucky am I to have people on the other side of the world who welcomed me into their lives? People I could learn from, laugh with, worship alongside, work beside, and love. Those relationships are what transformed this fellowship from an internship into something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. By opening myself up to these experiences, I know my time here will not go unnoticed. The impact of experiences like these creates a ripple effect.
One of the very first projects we worked on with Field of Hope was visiting agricultural clubs. At one school, Hope Secondary School, there wasn’t even an agricultural club when we arrived. Now, as we prepare to leave, the school has a thriving club with more than 150 members and an elected officer team ready to lead it forward. Our time with those students doesn’t end when we board the plane home. Their knowledge, leadership, and passion will continue to influence future club members and their communities long after we are gone.
What struck me most, though, is that I wasn’t only changed by the experiences I directly participated in. I was also changed by the experiences of those around me. One of my fellow interns, Josiah, spent his attachment at TAF, a diversified farm where he learned innovative farming practices and approaches to agricultural education. During the closing session, we all reflected on what the experience had meant to us. At first, I didn’t think I had much to contribute because I hadn’t spent my summer there. Then I realized something important: Tom, the owner and director of TAF, had impacted me too.
His knowledge, passion, and philosophy won’t remain on his farm in Uganda. They will travel home with every fellow who learned from him. They will reach classrooms in the United States through the lessons I teach my future students. They will find their way into conversations with friends, family, and colleagues. That is the beauty of knowledge; it multiplies when it is shared.
That realization has only strengthened my desire to become an agricultural educator. Teaching is about far more than passing along information. It is about creating opportunities for others to learn, grow, and continue sharing what they have gained. It is also about remaining a lifelong learner ourselves, recognizing that wisdom can come from anyone, anywhere, if we are willing to listen. 
As I prepare to leave Uganda, I don’t feel like I am simply taking memories home. I am carrying pieces of the people who have shaped me. In many ways, they have become my people. Their stories, lessons, and generosity will continue to influence the teacher I become and the students I will someday serve.
If there is one thing this fellowship has taught me, it is that the greatest transfer of knowledge isn’t found in a lesson plan or a workshop. It happens through relationships. It happens when we choose to learn from one another. And if we are fortunate enough to do that, we leave every place carrying a little bit of it with us while also \leaving a little bit of ourselves behind.
How lucky am I?
Ella Strickland- 2026 Field of Hope Fellow
