An International Connection: York College Students Travel to Colombia with the Help of a 1993 Graduate

Michael Multari started a travel agency in the South American country and invited students from his alma mater to take one of his first group trips.

Alyssa DeFranks ’27, watched a red-gloved hand throw a punch into the air at an invisible opponent. There was strength in the arm as it pulled back, ready to deliver another. The boxer Alyssa watched was a girl, no older than 13, and Alyssa saw a fire in her eyes.

“I knew immediately that this trip was going to change me,” Alyssa says. The Mechanical Engineering major met the group of young boxers during a trip to Colombia with nine other York College of Pennsylvania students, many of them Graham Collaborative Innovation Fellows and members of the Honors Program’s Engaged Scholars. 

The boxing lessons took place at Mi Barrio Mi Sueño, which translates to My Neighborhood My Dream, a nonprofit serving young women and single mothers, where Alyssa and her fellow students would study the organization’s operations. 

“Anytime we take students abroad, we want them to know they aren’t just tourists,” says David Fyfe, Ph.D., Director of Global Learning and Associate Professor of Geography. “We want them to develop several ‘learning objectives’ before we even leave the States. Throughout the trip, they’re observing activities and talking to people in hopes of getting closer to those intended outcomes.”

While nearly every trip out of the country is a new opportunity, this one was particularly special. For three years, Dr. Fyfe took first-year students to Greece. Colombia became a second option thanks to a connection with Michael Multari, a 1993 York College graduate with a degree in Secondary Education and History.

Multari, whose mother is from Colombia, was a teacher and administrator for 26 years when he decided, at nearly age 50, to shake things up. He moved to Colombia five years ago to start a travel business, Todo Bien Colombia. Despite Multari not having been on the York College campus for more than 25 years, one of the first things he did was to reach out to Dr. Fyfe and invite him to bring a group of students to visit.

Multari not only planned the trip to the boxing foundation but also a visit to EAFIT University in Medellin, a few days in Filandia to learn about the coffee industry and nearby farms, and a stop in Comuna 13, a neighborhood in Medellin that experienced what he calls a “miracle transformation.” The former stronghold for militants is now filled with art and vibrancy. 

Sutay Kanteh ’27, who is studying Medical Imaging, wanted to learn more about Colombia’s healthcare system. He noticed that some Colombians, living an hour or more from the nearest hospital, were resourceful with supplies, sometimes treating each other’s injuries in the street with what they had on hand.

“It added a great deal to my education,” Sutay says. “It was my first time traveling internationally, and I don’t want it to be my last.”

Alyssa says she’ll never forget the strength she saw in the young women and girls during their boxing lessons. Raised by a single mother, Alyssa felt a connection to their experience. 

“I would never have had the financial opportunity to have this experience on my own. It would have been a barrier to me going,” she says. “I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity presented to me. I’m already trying to find ways I can return.”