It’s only been three months since Daniela Estrada threw her cap in The Bren, but the 2017 political science graduate isn’t wasting any time in making a difference. The aspiring public defender is taking a quick break from law to participate in the Fulbright Program, a coveted educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.

With the funds from the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant and Research Grant, she recently set off for Bogotá, Colombia, where she is stationed at Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores. And when she is not busy with teaching duties, Estrada has started a blog to document her journey and the changes and challenges she witnesses during her year abroad.

“There is a lot of change occurring in Colombia and I am eager to immerse myself and learn from a society that is undergoing great change,” she says. “I believe volunteering for such organizations will better prepare me for my future as a public defender by learning how to best serve and interact with people from unfamiliar backgrounds and experiences.”

You can follow her journey here. To read more about Estrada and her time at UCI, click here.