Carol Tyx traces her longtime interest in Latin America to when she was a college student studying Spanish.

"I became aware of the U.S. foreign policy in the '80s, and how we were

supporting military regimes that suppressed civilians," she said.

Tyx is a frequent protester of the School of the Americas and an activist with the Christian Peacemaker Teams. For the past two years, she's joined about 16,000 others to protest the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Ga.

"A bus leaves from Eastern Iowa every year," she said.

Latin American countries send troops to School of the Americas to be militarily trained.

According to Tyx, this practice and the current U.S. foreign policy "fuels the injustices" in countries like Colombia, where violence is rampant.

The protests call for a "revision of policy and to be more careful how the U.S. uses its resources," Tyx said.

She teaches literature and writing at Mount Mercy College, which allows her to be a reservist, filling in during the summer with the Christian Peacekeepers Teams. She spent last summer in Colombia and will return this summer.

The Christian Peacekeepers Teams go to places like Iraq, the West Bank, the U.S.-Mexican border and Colombia. They work to accompany civilians who are at risk of violence.

"We talk with the military, try to be a presence for innocent villagers, and also provide an international presence to reach a larger audience," Tyx said.

She said her religious beliefs, as a follower of Jesus, motivate her to action.

"The gist of the journey is to reach out to those on the margins and help in any way you can, help change the injustices that keep people from living full lives," she said.

The good news, Tyx said, is "there's a deep desire for peace in Colombia. They are saturated with violence and sick of it."

Tyx said she thinks she's had a lot of privileges in her life - a middle class family, a college education, a life relatively free of violence.

"I want to use those privileges in whatever small way I can to help those people who grew up in more difficult circumstances," she said.

- Jason Spangler