What is your favorite travel memory?
One of my favorite travel memories with TBB is seeing how the relationships between the students and their host families change. The initial meetings are often awkward and full of anxiety but the students are immediately taken in as family. The goodbyes are emotional for everyone but the love is palpable.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
I think intentionality is a key factor. Everything we do at TBB has a purpose and is planned with care. The home staff is supportive of the Program Leaders and allows us to adapt our day-to-day to fit our group of students. As leaders we understand why the program is set up like it is and we can trust that our supervisors have our backs.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I have become more confident as a leader, a facilitator and as a traveler. I am not a fan of public speaking but I've learned to trust myself and my abilities. I have also learned a lot about myself and how I want to live my life going forward.
Describe a time when you felt especially proud to be part of your current team.
At the end of the global gap year each student creates a Presentation of Learning (POL) that they share with their families and the larger TBB community. Watching my students create and present their POLs last year was such a proud moment. It became so clear that this experience changed was life changing and I was so happy to have been a part of it.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
That they felt confident and prepared for college. TBB alumni tend to be more active on their college campuses than most freshman because they have learned more about themselves and what they want to get out of their college experience. They have learned to ask tough questions and seek out opportunities. So many students take a gap year because they felt unprepared for college life so to hear that they are thriving is such a joy!