Hello Global Glimpsers and families! My name is Avani Narayan and I have the honor of being one of your Global Glimpse Leaders. I am incredibly excited to meet each and every one of you! I am looking forward to getting to know each of you and seeing you grow during the 14 days we have together.
This will be my first trip as a Global Glimpse Leader, but I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in Global Glimpse as a high school student. My delegation and I traveled to Leon, Nicaragua and we resided there for 3 weeks. Fast forward many years later, I recently graduated from UCSF with my Master’s in Global Health Sciences. Many decisions I have made in regard to my education have been in some way influenced by my time in Leon. My Global Glimpse trip made a significant impact on my life and I hope it does the same for each of you.
I am Fijian-American, born and raised in the Bay Area. My parents immigrated to the US to allow my sister and I to be able to pursue whatever our hearts desired. Over the years, I have been lucky enough to be able to travel to over 25+ countries. I even studied abroad in Rome, Italy during college! Traveling and getting to immerse myself in new cultures and practices is my ultimate passion. I truly believe that it is important for each and every one of us to take time out to learn about different societal values and ways of living.
I completely understand that each of you are filled with a variety of emotions right now. Just know that those emotions are completely valid and that with time, you will be able to flourish in this new environment. This experience is truly what you make of it and I will be alongside you the entire time.
I can’t wait to see you all on July 14th!!!
Best wishes to you all,
Avani 🙂