INTRODUCING OUR ALUMNI BLOG
Seguinland Institute is celebrating 10 years of programming. To mark this milestone we hosted a reunion this past June and invited anyone who had ever participated in our programs, dating back to 2015. Over 50 people joined us for a weekend of celebrating the Good Life together at our campus on the coast of Maine. As we spent time with our incredible alumni and listened to their powerful stories of where they have traveled since their time at Seguinland, we realized that it was the perfect time to start a Seguinland Alumni Blog. Every other month we will recognize one of our alums and share their story of how the themes and experiences of their gap year at Seguinland are manifesting in their individual journeys.
Raimundo Ruiz
Fall ‘23, Wintering ‘24, Bridge ‘24, May Term ‘24
Following three terms at Seguinland, this fall I find myself in Chile, my home country. I’m attending Lehigh University and through an incredible coincidence (that I still can’t believe) they chose Chile for their first-year study abroad semester program. My time at Seguinland was incredibly transformative. It gave me the awareness and skills to find my own community back home, which led to me volunteering as a sexual health educator, focusing on underserved communities. The community-building aspect has also helped me build strong relationships with my cohort as we venture into uncertainty abroad. I’ve become a more mindful person as well, taking time every day to bring myself back to my
body, spend some quality time in nature, and do any needed reflection. After my time at Seguinland, I feel that I know both the person I want to be, and the kind of people I want to surround myself with so much better. I’ve made friends I talk to nearly daily, and others that surprise me at 3am with a wonderfully delightful photo of a goat. With the support of Seguinland faculty, staff, and the incredible people in my cohorts, I’ve been able to shape my life into something I truly love and, for the first time in a while, I’m genuinely excited to see what the future holds.