Peru easily has become one of my favorite places in the world.

I was able to travel there, along with 15 other Eccles Ambassadors, this past Fall Break as part of a Walmart sustainability case study taught and led by Professor Andrea Thomas.

We started our trip in Ica, Peru, which is located in a desert completely surrounded by sand dunes where a lot of farming in Peru takes place. The weather was amazing, and we were lucky enough to ride dune buggies and sand board together; it was so thrilling and new! The next day, we were able to visit an asparagus farm that was a huge supplier for Walmart. There, we were given the opportunity to ask both the farm managers and Walmart representatives specific questions about Walmart’s sustainability efforts that we had been learning about in class. We got to observe the farmers working and learned a lot about their working and living conditions. It was surprising to a lot of us that they only made 15 soles a day, but were comforted to know that for the area and it was enough to support a great lifestyle and that their working conditions were regulated by Walmart, which was extremely strict. Walmart has a lot of power to implement these regulations since they have such large purchasing power and a huge impact on the farms. Learning about sustainability and Walmart’s supply chain was extremely useful for me, as I hope to pursue a career in supply chain in the future and was able to get an international perspective on it.

We also were able to visit a natural gas factory, where we learned about sustainable energy and its importance.

After Ica, we traveled to Lima and Cuzco, where we were able to enjoy different aspects of Peru’s culture and take part in a variety of fun activities, meals, and experiences. My favorite part was visiting Machu Picchu, which was about a four-hour train ride outside of Cuzco. The view was absolutely breathtaking, and it really was impressive to think of how it was created so long ago. There were llamas everywhere, and we were all able to get some great photos!

I’m so grateful for my #EcclesExperience and for all the friends I got to share it with. I will never forget it.