Hey friends and family! This is once again Brit’ne Ross as the El Lider Del Dia. Because I did not describe myself before I will do it now. I am 16 years old and attend Gateway High School in San Francisco. As with all the other Glimpsers, I will be in the 12th grade this upcoming school year. I am currently in a program called Summer Search, which is a mentoring program that focuses on developing leadership skills for their students. Through Summer Search I was introduced to Global Glimpse. Although my process applying to this program was different from all the other students I am still very proud I got to join Global Glimpse and be able to make an impact alongside a fabulous group of people. As a group we have achieved and accomplished so much. From day one to this day we have built a bond between us that is truly unbreakable. I will personally miss every single person on this trip.

As the leader of the day it was a challenge keeping everyone on track. Being surrounded by Nicaraguan culture has definitely wore off on us because we are starting to run on Nica time and were late to our English classes. But I was able to do it and we had a successful day. We started our day off with the famous gallo pinto and eggs, then headed back to the hostal for some reflection time. As the Global Glimpse leaders and myself lead various reflection activities, we were able to take the time and evaluate our journey here in Nicaragua and what it has meant to each and every one of us and the journey we will continue. Our inspiring quote of the day today was “Success is not a place at which one arrives but rather the spirit with which one continues the journey” ~Alex Noble. Together we determined that this quote relates to our journey because it’s not just about what we we learned here in Nicaragua; it’s about how we can apply what we learned when we return home. So parents, when your student gets back be sure to ask them how can they be a responsible global citizen.

Today we also said our last goodbyes to our English tutoring groups. With a total of six short days we have taught our students so much. They were fun, easy going, and eager to learn. The best part of teaching English to me is when I see my students getting and remembering what we’ve covered. I take pride in being able to say I helped children as well as adults speak English. Although we are leaving tomorrow, the next delegation group will continue with our same groups and hopefully make more progress.

This trip has taught us all so much; for me personally I learned that I do not need to be with people who look like me in order to connect with them. One of my fears of coming on this trip was that I was going to be the only African American. It turned out I was but I still felt like I was at home. As I mentioned earlier, we have all made a strong bond with one another that will never be broken. What I love most about our group is that we are all so different yet somehow we still find a way to laugh with one another. Thank you Jazmin, Brittany, Miranda, Destiny, Heather, Wendy, Genean, Michael, Miguel, and Kevin for making me feel so comfortable and connected to you guys. This trip for me has definitely been an eye opening experience. When I return home I am going to stop judging people by their situations, start being more open to a more diverse group of people, and continue keeping an open mind about what goes on around me. 

See you soon,

Brit’ne Ross