The Class of 2021 comprises students from twenty-seven countries. During the spring semester, the photography exhibition Home Away from Home? in David Saul Smith Union featured portraits of a number of these students. The pictures were accompanied by essays about what it’s like to study at Bowdoin when you’re often thousands of miles from home and family.

Over the summer, we’ll be publishing a selection of those photographs with the accompanying essays, and today the spotlight is on Giovanna Munguia ’21.

Giovanna Munguia ’21. Photo: Shinhee Kang ’18. The backdrop is Chinchontepec Volcano, San Salvador.

I’m from El Salvador, which is a tiny country located in Central America. We’re the tiniest country in the entire American continent that’s not an island.

When you think of home what image comes to mind?

Definitely the volcanoes and hills. The city is surrounded by all of them.

What do you miss most about home right now?

Food and family and the warm weather! (EDITOR’S NOTE: This was written in the middle of winter!)

Is there a particular dish you miss?

Yeah. It’s called pupusa. It’s like tortilla filled with cheese and beans, but better. They’re really good—try them some time!

Do you have anything else that you wanted to add?

I love El Salvador. Even though it’s not the most developed country in the world, it’s still a really, really beautiful place with beautiful people!

The exhibition Home Away from Home? was initiated, cocurated, and organized by Shinhee Kang’ 18 and Cheng-Chun (Kevin) Yu’ 19.