Fellow Stories

You are so fat. You must have spent all your time eating.

2018-09-05

I have begun my learning exploration at the customs and the culture of Senegal. There are a couple things that I have found very interesting and at the same time very hard to comprehend. First, Senegal is known for a reputation which is a joking culture. I was not able to understand what that means until...

MY WEEK IN PICTURES

Tenzin Gyalmo

2018-09-04

Ola!!!    So, it’s been 12 days since I hugged my family goodbye in Bhutan. It’s been 10 days since I hugged my ex-roomie (shout out to Jasmine) goodbye. It’s been 2 days since I hugged my fellow fellows of other cohorts goodbye. (I hope you guys are having a great time in your countries!)...

The Queen of Throwing Myself into Situations in Which I Do Not Belong

Alyssa Shteyn

2018-09-04

I’m on the plane from St. Louis to Oakland. My mom is asleep with a Kindle in her lap, the matte screen still displaying a romance novel. I challenge myself to read the Russian words on the screen, and curse myself every time my steady reading pace slows. I swear to myself I won't forget...

Blog #2

Stephanie Duarte-Pedrosa

2018-09-04

We arrived in Brazil  on Sunday – all 36 of us safe and sound. Whoop whoop! Here are some photos: 1. This is from Thursday night – some UWC folk casually lounging around. Shout out to Piero on the guitar! <3 2. This is one of the first photos I took in Brazil. It was...

How it begins

Lynn Drescher

2018-09-03

A few days ago we finally received information about what lies ahead – our host families, where and with whom we will be living, and what our apprenticeship will look like. I can still remember the nervous tingles in my fingers once the email loaded. This was the moment I had been waiting for many...

From Florida to Floripa

Julia Salomone

2018-09-03

I have been in Floripa for one day and have already fallen in love with a isla da magia. Walking down the steps of the plane onto the tarmac we could already feel the difference from being back home. I heard someone near me say “I can breathe fuller.” The air is different, cleaner, smelling...

Global Citizen Year gap year: a lifelong mentor

Momar Mboup

2018-09-03

This year, I will be taking a gap year instead of enrolling in a university.  Before I start, I will briefly define what Global Citizen Year is. GCY is an 8 month long immersive program that offers the opportunity for young students to immerse themselves into a new culture, learn a new language, volunteering in...

The first Pictures!

Julia-Braunig

2018-09-03

Download full resolution images Available until Oct 3, 2018 We safely arrived and were welcomed by the stunning landscape of Floripa! Click to Download IMG_4999.MOV 19.5 MB

The Beginning

Julia-Braunig

2018-09-03

It’s September first. Right now, I’m sitting on the plane and am about to emark the most adventurous experience of my life. The whole experince had begun so spontaneously. In May, I decided that I didn’t wanna go to Uni this year. This was pretty scary considering that I was always sure that I would...

My Why

Jaime Givens

2018-09-03

All of you know that I have decided to take a bridge year in lieu of my first year of college and that I will be in Hyderabad, India where I will be working for a social impact organization known as Teach for India.   However, one aspect of my bridge year that you may...

Daruma

Grace Sander

2018-09-01

My time at Stanford University is quickly coming to an end and a new beginning is awaiting for me in Florianopolis, Brazil. I’ve listened to countless wonderful speakers who talked about what to expect in my gap year and how to navigate an unfamiliar culture respectfully. As I stressfully repacked today for my eight months...

Walking into Empty Space

Natalie Glick

2018-09-01

I walked into this week not fully understanding what was happening around me. I packed up my bags and left the life that I have known for the past 18 years and came to California for something called “Global Launch.” I didn’t have any expectations, I didn’t know anyone; but instantly I felt a sense...