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Senior learns there’s more to life than academics after reforestation trip to Ecuador

Courtesy of Maggie Tarasovitch

Maggie Tarasovitch’s called her experience with the Global Student Embassy in Ecuador life-changing.

By Molly BergerStaff Writer

Maggie Tarasovitch, formerly a self-described “uptight perfectionist,” learned that there’s more to life than school after she went to Ecuador for a reforestation project last winter.

Tarasovitch’s trip was a Global Student Embassy (GSE) project through the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Tarasovitch, a senior policy studies major, called her experience “life-changing” and the co-founder of the group took note of her passion, entitling her the GSE campus representative for SUNY-ESF and Syracuse University.

As the campus representative, Tarasovitch recruits volunteers to participate in the trip to Chacraseca, Nicaragua in May. She said that the trip is perfect for SU students because it’s applicable to so many majors in subjects such as nutrition, Latin American studies, Spanish, international relations and policy studies.

“It’s a grassroots program. I’m an example — I went on an ESF trip and then I was able to bring it here. So we also offer the trip to students who aren’t in the university,” Tarasovitch said. “As long as they’re college-aged and interested, we want them on the trip.”

GSE’s mission is to bring back indigenous ways and new organic planting techniques to build a sustainable agriculture program in the rural community of Chacraseca.



“From my experience volunteering, I’ve learned that I can be a force of change. I’m one person, but I can truly make a difference,” Tarasovitch said.

Tarasovitch said she hopes to keep this trip running through SU as the years go on. Though she has another job offer lined up with JPMorgan Chase, she still wants to be involved with the GSE trip after graduation.

Eventually, Tarasovitch hopes to move into state government and be a policy maker. Her goal is to work in Washington, D.C.

“I want to create change in the world. You can’t just throw money at a problem,” Tarasovitch said. “You really have to look at what’s causing it and what’s going to be the most effective way to fix it.”





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