Fellow Stories
True gap year stories from Fellows abroad!
Check out the latest blogs from Global Citizen Year Fellows in Brazil, Ecuador, and India!
Category
Class Year
Country
Senegal and Korea: We Are the One!
Jay Choi
2013-02-04
There is a proverb in South Korea: “The smallest pepper is the hottest.” Despite its small size, South Korea is one of the “hottest” nations in the world. Home of multinational companies like Samsung, LG, and Hyundai, it is a leading producer of semi-conductors, flat screen TVs, cars, and ships which drive the 13th largest economy...
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The Reality of the Definition
Cheyenne Tessier
2013-01-31
I am an actor of development in Noflaye, Senegal. I believe in neither mass fabrication, nor Western medicine. I am an actor of development. I no longer contribute to NGO’s, nor would I call myself a supporter of government aid projects. I am not a journalist, nor am I a revolutionist. I don’t think the...
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The Right Mix
Benito Aranda-Comer
2013-01-30
Finding the right equilibrium between realism and idealism has been my most intriguing and difficult experience here in Brazil. Every day I am faced with choices of how to prioritize my time, who to invest in relationships with, and where to think critically about that which I’ve experienced. For the most part there is a clear-cut ‘right choice’ and...
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How to be Brazilian in 5 Easy Steps (Beginner’s Course)
Avery Ashwill
2013-01-29
1. Hygiene is essential. Have you showered today? If not, do so immediately. Did you shower before you ate breakfast, lunch and dinner? Did you shower before you left the house and upon your return? If not, start incorporating these methods into your daily routine. By looking good and smelling good at all times, your...
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Growing Up: The Circle of Life
Christopher LaBorde
2013-01-28
“From the day we arrive on this planet,and blinking step into the sun, there’s more to see than can ever be seen, more to do, than can ever be done. There’s far too much to take in here, more to find than can ever be found, But the sun rolling high, through the sapphire sky, keeps great and small on the...
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Thank The Garbage Worker
Aidan Holloway-Bidwell
2013-01-28
The next time he rolls by in his big, loud, clanky truck, thank the garbage worker. If there is one bit of advice I can give you as a result of my experience here in Ecuador that would be it. You don’t need to sound overly sincere, certainly not sarcastic, just say a simple “thank...
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Cold Showers (Or Life in Africa)
Christopher LaBorde
2013-01-28
Note: This blog was written in many pieces at different times, and my attitude changes just like the weather, quickly and drastically, but I hope that this gives you a better idea of what I was going through at the beginning of my journey on this side of the Atlantic. I tried to write a book once. It was the...
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Define Collaboration
Hannah Bouline
2013-01-28
I must have re-written this blog post a thousand times. If not on my computer, then at least in my thoughts. As I navigate each day living with an Indigenous family in rural Ecuador, my version of this blog post has constantly been changing. I suspect that this arises from my continually changing vocabulary. Yes,...
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Beyond the Drawing Board
Aidan Holloway-Bidwell
2013-01-28
Development: noun. The process of developing or being developed. A specific state of growth or advancement. Being so general, the formal definition of the word “development” is open to many interpretations, and can be applied to an array of situations. Animals develop biologically, countries develop economically, plans, plots, and people also all develop. The definition...
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The Good Life
Betty Gebre
2013-01-28
One of the topics I had been curious about learning in taking a gap year was poverty. I could not come to understand how poverty existed in the 21st century. After spending two months in Puerto Quito, Ecuador and becoming familiarized with Voices of the Poor I have discovered a new definition for Poverty and...
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Things in Boussoura That Make Me Happy
Caroline Blanchard
2013-01-25
– When my baby sister screams my name – When my host dad calls me his daughter – When people in my village, or random people I have never met before, tell me I know how to speak Pulaar (real mood boaster) – When my brother dances just to make me laugh – Literally sitting...
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Stagnant lake
Galen Tsongas
2013-01-25
Belay all judgments. Think. Observe. Ask. When words like weird, disorganized, and crazy are used, what is happening? Why do I perceive that someone is disorganized, or weird? I lived in a relatively small capsule where thoughts converged to funnel certain thoughts down rivulets that led to a lake of stagnant thoughts. The thoughts of...
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