From my time teaching in Japan
For some time it was a mystery to me why other boys and girls my age didn’t also eat pasta with their extended family each and every Sunday. It was difficult to understand that not every culture observed the Sabbath, nor was so deeply connected to Bolognese, nor discussed weekly happenings around the dinner table – largely the context of my youth (and a context I hope to share with you all as your Global Glimpse Leader).
Though slightly facetious, I am largely a product of a Roman Catholic immigrant, single mother, as well as the San Francisco Bay Area and the beautiful array of cultures and people that call it home. More recently, I am influenced by my time living, working and studying in eight countries across three continents.
The power of travel and immersion is so much a part of what I have become that I appreciate dearly the adversity and growth that comes with placing one’s (spiritual, psychological and physical) self outside of the confines of his or her comforts.
For this reason, I believe that programs and experiences like Global Glimpse are invaluable for the development of our youth – our world’s youth. They provide an entirely novel perspective on the moment to moment human experience; a perspective that is absolutely critical for the health of the whole.
I am so incredibly fortunate to have been selected to volunteer on this journey. My gratitude comes directly from all of the amazing things I will learn from a diverse collection of teenagers, as well as the things I will learn from further immersing myself in a foreign context. I can’t wait to get started, and I hope you are all as excited as I am!