By Jill Baylis

Lindsey Tschappat, interdisciplinary liberal arts

A senior majoring in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts with a minor in English, Lindsey spent the summer putting her communication skills and wellness training to good use by teaching yoga abroad.

Lindsey both taught and resided in Casa de Laila, a serene yoga retreat in the heart of Malaga, Spain. Her days were filled with leading wellness classes in beautiful locales to groups of residents. “Each day I teach yoga, meditation, pranayama, and chanting along with my co-teacher” she said.

Lindsey previously traveled to India for her 200 yoga teacher training, where she met her now co-teacher.

Marissa Mullen, ethnic studies and anthropology

Shelter builds and elephant baths are no stranger to Marissa Mullen. In June Mullen traveled to Thailand to work alongside wildlife researchers and fellow conservation enthusiasts to protect endangered elephants.

Mullen is a fourth year student who is working towards degrees in Anthropology and Ethnic Studies. She heard about this opportunity through an EDventure representative who visited her class.

While each EDventure program provides a unique experience, working with elephants stood out to Mullen. “I decided to participate in the Thailand project which is focused on both conservation and humanitarian service work,” she stated. “The first week was spent at the Surin project, which focuses on keeping elephants out of exploitative markets, such as circuses, which are very detrimental to the health of elephants.”

The second week of the trip was spent working with a girl’s school located outside of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. Tasks including painting, building a duck house and fixing up a basketball court for the girls.

Although the main purpose of the trip was service work, this program also provided the ability to enjoy Thailand to the fullest. The final week of the trip was filled with fun activities, including zip lining, participating in Thai cooking class, visiting a Buddhist temple and visiting a local lake.

“I learned more in three weeks than I could have ever imagined and was able to experience Thailand for more than just its tourist attractions. I feel very fortunate that I found this program through CSU,” Mullen said.

This article was written by Samantha Bufmack, previously appearing on SOURCE here.