What is your favorite travel memory?
While I was visiting my brother, a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho we built a raft from a few scrap pieces of wood and old inner-tubes and rafted down the Senqu river for 8 days. It was a magical exploration of some very remote places. Along the way we encountered deep canyons, isolated tribes, a huge fish and even a secret coming-of-age ceremony.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I came from the corporate finance world, so working at Global Citizen Year has allowed me to really broaden my understanding of how a small business works. Not only that, but being involved in the operations of the business has also been a real growth opportunity for me.
I think the biggest change through is the realization that there are more important things than your career, like making a difference.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
Our program believes that being able to tell your story once you return is an important aspect of the program and so we train the fellows on good storytelling techniques. As part of our re-entry training for returning fellows, they are given the opportunity to participate in a story-slam.
One of the most hilarious stories I have ever heard was about a fellow who had an apprenticeship in a zoo and a particular incident she had in the monkey cage dealing with some naughty monkeys while a very handsome zookeeper was watching. I cried with laughter!
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
That's a really hard choice because they all sound so great and have something unique to offer, however if I had to choose one it would be our Senegal Program. I have never been to Senegal and so I would love to explore that country more.
In addition, our program there offers the most rural experience and that also really appeals to me as a contrast to my life here in the U.S. Lastly, I love food - especially trying new foods and the Senegalese food I have tried has really been tasty