Hello Global Glimpse students and families!

Analleli and I (Farima) are so excited for our upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic from 7/28 to 8/13! We feel so excited to share 16 days out of our summer to guide you as young leaders through personal growth, new life perspectives and a once in a lifetime experience. You should have received an email from us so if you haven’t, please message us as soon as possible. Below are our introductions, please make sure to post yours as well by including (1) your selfie; (2) A brief description of yourself; (3) What you are looking forward to on this trip?; and (4) What is one thing people should know about you?

Dr. Farima Pour-Khorshid

My name is Farima and I’m so excited to meet you all this summer! To tell you a bit about myself, I completed my PhD last year at the University of California, Santa Cruz and I am now a professor at the University of San Francisco. I identify as mixed raced, I am half Nicaraguan and half Iranian and my gender pronouns are she/her/hers. I have taken several Global Glimpse students to Nicaragua in the past and while I have been to the Dominican Republic before, this will be my first time taking students there so I’m excited about that! I strongly believe that Global Glimpse will provide me with yet another rewarding experience guiding and accompanying you all through a life changing experience where you will learn the importance of having a global perspective in your lives.

I have been an educator in and out of classrooms for over a decade,  all of my credentialed, bilingual teaching experience has been within the Hayward Unified School District (HUSD) because I wanted to teach in my home community. I have also served as a youth enrichment leader and director for multiple after school and summer recreational programs for teenagers, which were also designed to train them to become future summer camp and after school leaders.

Between 2010-2012, I taught on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua where my family was born, raised, and emigrated from. I trained, taught, and mentored student teachers at the Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University (BICU). I also designed, facilitated, and presented workshops for English teachers across Nicaragua and I collaborated closely with the Ministry of Education, R.A.A.S division.

I believe there is so much power in the eye-opening process that occurs through international experiences, which almost always leads to transformative reflections and life changes. I admire what Global Glimpse is providing for both youth and teachers and I am honored to somehow be involved in the amazing leadership that this experience fosters. I admire your courage for taking this step and living your lives to the fullest by taking chances and opening yourselves up to this opportunity. I’m excited about collaborating with you all and definitely look forward to meeting you!

Hi everyone! My name is Analleli Gallardo. I use she/her pronouns. I was born in the central valley, a small town close to Bakersfield, CA. I moved up to the bay area when I was 18 to attend San Francisco State University where I majored in Gender Studies and Race and Resistance Studies. Throughout my undergraduate career, I was involved in activism on campus and the education field through part-time jobs. After I graduated, I worked with middle school students as an after-school teacher in Oakland. Then, I got my Masters in Education with a teaching credential at UC Santa Cruz. Ever since, I have been teaching and loving it! I just finished up my second year of teaching World History and Psychology based off of Hayward, CA.

This is my first Global Glimpse trip ever – I am nervous but excited! I am confident that both Farima and I as well as all the other GG staff will lead you through a moving experience. Since this is my first time on a GG trip, I will be learning alongside you and always with my own experiences and knowledge.

I can’t wait to get to know all of you!

Dominican Republic Coordinators

My name is Silvana (or Silvi how I prefer to be called) and I was born in Bogotá, Colombia but grew up in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. I am a smiling, enthusiastic, and social person who loves traveling and learning about local cultures. I am passionate about climate change issues and eco-friendly living habits. I hope that through this program we contribute to the empowerment of young American leaders by positively impacting their lives. I am community-driven person who values local knowledge and believes that education empowers communities. In 2016 – after graduating from my master’s program – I moved back to Colombia and started working for the U.S. Peace Corps promoting peace and friendship. After two years, I decided to take a new challenge in my life and eventually found a home-away-from-home here in the Dominican Republic as a program coordinator. I am looking forward to meeting you and make this summer the best experience for our Glimpsers along with my amazing partner!

My name is Fabiola and I have graduated from the Autonomy University of Santo Domingo (UASD) in 2015 with a degree in Public Relations. I enjoy dancing and traveling. In 2016, I volunteered at TECHO,  a non – profit organization that mobilizes youth volunteers to fight extreme poverty. Only six months later, I took over the role of Community Training coordinator. In 2018, I participated in the massive Latin American building projects, implementing the progressive housing model of TECHO Argentina, which allowed me to see the reality of the region: different contexts, similar situations. I experienced poverty and inequality in many forms through this professional journey. This gave me a clearer vision of what can be achieved in the Dominican Republic if we all work together and empower the young generations. I am eager to work together with you two and provide of valuable life lessons to our students this summer!

We are really looking forward to having you share your knowledge with the group and help make this trip even more transformative for the students.  We have been working diligently on your summer itinerary and are very excited to share an amazing experience with all of you!

Please share your introduction blog with us this week, we look forward to getting to know you!

Much love,

Fari, Analleli, Silvi and Fabi