A citizen of the world

The way my life unfolded from the moment I decided to fill the application could not have been predicted. I had been on a plane 6 times in 20 years. Since Up with People, I have flown 27 times in 2 years.
The people and connections I made as a student define where I am today. This bond with cast mates, staff, and host families is so strong because it is sincere, the only reason behind it is true passion. UWP gave me the confidence to be who I belive I truly am, a "self" that did not fully come out in conventional settings such as school. It also made me realize that nationality is a starting point, but never the end, our country of origin is where we start our journey but we choose where it goes. The magic is, in UWP your cast mates also go through this and discover this with you, so you'll find the most like-minded people you'll ever meet.