What is your favorite travel memory?
In my 20's as an Au Pair, I had the amazing opportunity to live abroad and travel. One of my fondest memories was going on holiday and snorkeling in Maui as I got to swim with Turtles and Manta rays. It was equally terrifying as it was magical. Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! I would've stayed there forever if I could. I also had the opportunity travel to France and see the Eiffel Tower which was an amazing experience.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
Going to work everyday has been a pleasure as GVI has a great family dynamic. Having managers that cared was truly a strange concept for me. They have always given their staff opportunities to grow whether is be personally or professionally. GVI invests in their staff which is something that I have rarely experienced.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
One of our online students who was in his 50's was thinking of switching careers. He has worked in his field for 20 years when he decided to do our Wildlife Conservation course. He mentioned that in 8 weeks, he has learned so much which surpassed his expectations and has made him realize that this is the field he would like to be in.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
I would choose our Community Development program. One of its focuses is Women Empowerment which is something I am passionate about. Once completing the theory, I would choose our Ghana Women's Empowerment program to get the chance to actually work with females in the villages to teach them about health and hygiene, computer skills and English.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
When Covid hit and the world stood still, I went into a panic due to the fact that GVI is a travel organization so naturally I was worried but when I realized that GVI is an extremely innovative company, that certainly put me at ease.. We had to think on our feet which is when our amazing Online courses and Virtual Internships came to fruition. This has given participants the opportunity to still gain experience is varies fields from the comfort and safety of their homes.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
I believe it's the high quality programs that we have to offer whether it be in conservation, community development or global health offerings. Our teamwork and collaborations with partners has given year 12 students the experience to help them decide if this is the field that they would like to go into, it has given people the knowledge to help them decide if they would like to change their career path or simply the opportunity to do good in developing countries.