Back in 2013, Griffin was a student with GoBeyond's Preserving Paradise program in the British Virgin Islands. She returned as a mate with GoBeyond in the summer of 2019, leading the same trip she did in high school!
What is your favorite travel memory?
My favorite memory with GoBeyond was in 2019 when we were turtle tagging in Anegada and the group I was with caught the first hawksbill sea turtle since Hurricane Irma in 2017!
Turtle tagging is one of Preserving Paradise's main projects; it's also probably one of my favorites because it combines both research and adventure.
We work with the Association of Reef Keepers (ARK) and they had not seen or recorded any hawksbill activity in the BVI since Hurricane Irma; for all they knew, they could have all left! So, it was really cool to be with the group that was able to record the first one in two years.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
As a student with GoBeyond, I definitely learned the appreciate the little things in life - living on a boat with 15 other people definitely means giving up a few luxuries.
As a staff member, I think it took that a step further, and it taught me to not only appreciate the little things but also to find the good in all things. Sometimes there are challenges that will happen on board, or while at a community service projects - you can get hot and tired, but you're still doing something special in a beautiful place and that's what is what really matters!
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
There was a large group of returning students during our second session this past summer. What I loved was that they had all been drawn to the program in the BVI in 2018 after the destruction of Hurricane Irma. They returned in 2019 because they wanted to be able to continue the work that they had started. It really warmed my heart because not only were they positively impacting the community, but it obviously impacted them as well.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
I think I would want to participate in our Tibetan Village Experience in India. This is probably our least-mobile program: our students spend 2.5 of the 3 weeks in Dharamsala, and spend almost every day during those 2.5 weeks meeting with a Tibetan mutual learning partner and building a relationship with them.
Because so much time is spent in one location, I feel as though the program is able to really immerse itself in the culture and connect with the community on a deeper level, and that is something that I would love to do!
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
I think what makes our company unique is that the majority of the staff is made up of past students. There is a strong sense of paying it back, and as former students, we want to make sure that students are having the same, amazing, life-changing experiences that we did.
We know the impact that our programs have because of the impact they had on us!
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
I believe that the biggest factor in being a successful company is having a strong group of people who support the company's mission and values. I think that the people are what really makes the company: both the staff in the front office and the staff on the ground during the program are exceptional and do whatever they can to ensure that students are having the best experience possible.
