Hello Global Glimpsers!

First, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Steve Schmidt and I am a Social Studies teacher at Lowell High School in San Francisco. This is my first year working with Global Glimpse and I’m so excited about our upcoming trip! It is going to be amazing and I know that I will return to the United States later this summer as a better human being.

I’ve been teaching for 23 years and am 48 years old – the “old man” of Global Glimpse. No worries, though. As someone who spends the majority of his time around teenagers, I still feel like I’m 19 and am still very high energy. In fact, I just got back from a week long trip to Washington, D.C. and New York City with 16 students who often times found it hard to keep up with me.

As a Social Studies teacher, I’ve taught all of the core curriculum subjects, but Advanced Placement United States History is my specialty. I’ve taught that for 22 years – longer than y’all have been alive.

I grew up on a cattle ranch in southern San Benito County, California and attended King City High School. Upon graduating, I moved to the Bay Area and received my B.A. in History from the University of California, Berkeley – GO BEARS! I am still a season ticket holder for CAL football and 3 of my college buddies and I own 13 season tickets between the four of us.

In addition to enjoying college football, I love music and theater! I try to see as much of it as possible and San Francisco provides me with many opportunities to do so. I am really looking forward to hearing the sounds of the Dominican Republic, taking you guys to a merengue lesson, and possibly buying some steel drums to take home. Last weekend, I took my students to see “Alladin” on Broadway! It was so much FUN!

Another of my passions is TRAVEL! While I have never been to the Dominican Republic, I have spent much time in Mexico and South America. My Spanish is so-so, but I am looking forward to improving it with this trip.

Your other GG Leader going to Bonao is Rosa Guzman. Rosa is fluent in Spanish! She seems so cool and she is much closer to your ages than to my age! Rosa teaches at Berkeley High School and some of our delegation has had her as a teacher. I’m looking forward to some of YOUR stories about Rosa’s class.

So, yesterday I either spoke with all of you or left you a voice mail. In addition to getting you to check out the blog (which had ALREADY been set up and Angelo has already posted to it – GREAT JOB!), I was letting you know about a “get to know each other party” that Rosa and I have planned for this coming Monday. So, to review:

Who?  The incredible Bonao, Dominican Republic Delegation from Global Glimpse who will be traveling with Rosa and I from June 30-July 18

What? A “Get to Know Each Other” Party / Picnic – This is certainly NOT mandatory, but will be a great chance for us to get acquainted before our trip

When? Monday, June 16th at 3:30 PM

Where? We’ll be meeting outside the 19th Street BART Station at the corner of 17th and Madison in downtown Oakland and then walking together as a group to a park to hang out and eat

Why? Because Rosa and I are excited to meet those of you who we haven’t met yet and it’s never too early to start bonding, forming relationships, and developing what will be an AMAZING team!

How? With great revelry (actually, it should be pretty low key), but with some food and/or drink to share so that we can all bond while “breaking bread” together

OK? OK!

Again, this is NOT MANDATORY, but we’d sure appreciate it if you could make it to our “picnic” this coming Monday.

OK, as this is my first blog of the summer, I’d better not wear myself or your eyes out. There will be other opportunities for me to bore, errr “WOW” you with my skilled writing.

I hope all of you are doing well, are super excited about our upcoming trip, and are planning on meeting the delegation with Rosa and I on Monday. If not, we’ll see ya at the airport on June 30th.

Take care everyone!!!

And even though I haven’t met most of you, as Global Glimpse Delegates, I’m confident in ending this note with:

With LOVE,

Steve Schmidt “Esteban”