Michelle Duncan had a monkey on her back. Literally... all the way to the school where she taught English. Monkeys are not uncommon in Ecuador, and wild or not so wild; they like to hitch rides with strangers. Duncan, at 5-9 and blonde, couldn't help but stand out as a stranger in Bah'a de Caráquez, a town of 20,000 nine hours by bus from Ecuador's capital, Quito, where she chose to spend her summer. There, she taught English, made friends, traveled the countryside and tried to blend in with the wildlife.

A member of the Dons' tennis team and a major in international business, Duncan's adventurous spirit doesn't surprise anyone who knows her. "She's unpredictable... interesting," says friend and fellow student-athlete Alfred Bedrossian, a member of the Dons' soccer team.

This particular adventure was prompted by Duncan's desire to learn Spanish. Just before the end of USF school year last year, she researched different places to go in South America and haphazardly came up with Ecuador. "I flew into Quito second-guessing myself and whether this was the right thing to do," she says.

Once there, she quickly volunteered to teach English and was sent to Bah'a de Caráquez. Soon, Duncan found herself alone, with no guidelines or materials, in front of a classroom of 41 students age six to 13. From 8am to noon every day for six weeks, Senorita Duncan flew by the seat of her pants, cultivating a curriculum on the spot as she herself struggled to pick up more Spanish and adapt to the resident culture.

"People were so amazing. Many came up to me to offer their condolences about September 11th. I was so welcomed by everyone down there." Michelle Duncan

"I had to change my entire lifestyle," she continues. "I lived with a family and the conditions were primitive and the weather very humid." In the absence of structure, Duncan says she simply taught her schoolchildren what she thought they needed to know, which included bouts of physical education. Soon, word spread and our hapless USF heroine was also enlisted to teach English at a nearby high school every afternoon. "This was a bit more challenging," Duncan offers. "I have so much more respect for teachers now." Indeed, having to deal with 130 students spanning six grade levels would be enough to send any reasonable person around the bend. Having to teach this many people a foreign language (English) using a foreign language (Spanish) is brave.

Duncan and a superhero

But all's well that end's well and Duncan's students rewarded her stalwart efforts by throwing a cake in her face - the Ecuadorian equivalent of having a ticker tape parade held in your honor. Then, Duncan rewarded herself with three weeks of traveling around and getting to know the country. She was joined by a friend for one of those weeks but traveled the rest alone and even got robbed on a bus during one of her journeys around the countryside. "I never felt truly in danger, though," she explains. "I understood why people would steal, their country is so corrupt now. They've had four different presidents in four years."

The corruption and crime almost kept her from going in the first place. The truth of it is that her family and friends had forbidden her from going to Ecuador, fearing the worst. As a result, Duncan expected things to be worse and when they weren't, she was pleasantly surprised.

"People were so amazing," she enthuses. "Many came up to me to offer their condolences about September 11th." Duncan was even interviewed by a local radio station about life in America after September 11th. "I was so welcomed by everyone down there."

In addition to gaining a new appreciation for a once feared country, Duncan came back with an intense new love... for soccer. "I'm obsessed now," she states. Duncan couldn't help but get swept away in Ecuador's mania - the first time the tiny country has ever made it to the World Cup. She even took to wearing a bright yellow ECUADOR jersey, purchased for her by local friends.

Her newfound love for soccer didn't diminish Duncan's devotion to tennis, however, and she tried to play, even though the nearby courts were some of the worst she had ever seen. "I swear there was one net for six courts and the balls were from 1982," she laughs. "I didn't bring a racquet down but ended up playing a lot because as soon as the locals found out I played, they would come running up to me and ask me to teach them." Nicolas Lapentti's name came up a lot, the only famous Ecuadorian tennis player, as he was competing in last summer's Wimbledon. Knowing that she would return to compete for USF, Duncan did her best to stay in training shape, finding the time to jog 10 miles a day along the sidewalks of her village.

"Tennis has always been a huge part of my life," she says. "I can't imagine life without it." Playing at the college level, she adds, has taught her invaluable skills such as how to work with others. "Our team is so close it's like a little cult," Duncan laughs.

Head women's tennis coach Hilary Somers attributes the closeness of her team, in part, to Duncan. "Michelle is a definite leader," Coach Somers said. "She sets a great example both on and off the court because she's always so positive and encourages everyone out there. Michelle is a joy to coach and have around." Nicknamed "Duncs" or "Phoenix" by her team, Coach Somers also declares, "she fights like a cornered rat during matches."

Michelle Duncan in action for the Lady Dons

But the strong singles competitor doesn't have any interest in going pro though she might like to coach, that is if she's isn't too distracted by international affairs. "I couldn't help but notice how many monopolies exist in South America," the international business major/Spanish minor declared. "I think I might like to get involved with a business in South America and work with other countries." She also learned an appreciation for the culture's emphasis on simplicity. "It's a culture based on talking and dancing and family," she says. "In most cases, people are born and die in the same city and everyone knows and cares about everyone in their town."

Duncan will go back, soon, she hopes. Machu Picchu is first on her list, a list that contains just about every country in South America. Her first foray into the continent complete, Duncan is both satisfied and still curios. Ultimately the children, her children, made it worth every awkward moment, every monkey hitching a ride: "people laughed all along the way... they kept asking 'who's your little friend?'"