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
First Blog Post
Desire Mulla
2015-08-27
When I first arrived at the Pre Departure Training (PDT) of Global Citizen Year I thought that I was in this program for all the visible reasons. I thought I was well prepared for it due to my prior UWC experience and I pictured them as the same. However little did I know that even though both programs...
Read MoreThings In My Room
Mila Le
2015-08-27
Things in my room, I have clothes, books, an excessive amount of pillows, I have peace. I’m deciding what I should pack. I’m deciding on what I need. In my ginormous suitcase I’ve packed a lot of t-shirts, a couple pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shoes, some formal dresses and a lot more toiletries...
Read More
And a hush fell over the crowd…
Andrew William Dunn
2015-08-27
And a hush fell over the crowd… How do I even begin to put into words the amount of excitement that I am feeling? When I think back to April, when I first heard that I had gotten in, I was in awe of the chance that I had received. This opportunity came at such a...
Read MoreDeparture
Charlotte Robbins
2015-08-27
I’ve always considered myself to be a planner; I map out events and deadlines, space out my time accordingly, and am disoriented by sudden changes in my schedule. About two months ago, however, I made the most impulsive decision of my life. I was sprawled across my couch watching Scrubs, when I jolted upright with the sudden...
Read MoreWhy am I doing this?
Katherine Brooke-Davidson
2015-08-27
I think that’s what I’m asked most frequently when I tell someone I’m moving to Ecuador. Or occasionally, with a little more sass, “On purpose?” It’s also something I ask myself. It’s a difficult question to answer beyond kind of generic, superficial goals. For instance, I want to learn Spanish, and interact with a new culture, and...
Read MoreAt Long Last
Emery Harwell
2015-08-27
I’m sure you’ve all heard me talk about Ecuador and Global Citizen Year, and if you haven’t then you’ve probably seen it somewhere on my Twitter and Facebook. Today I’m really going. My past eight days have been spent with and amazing cohort of my new friends, while learning from an incredible group of staff,...
Read More
Departure Day: The Start of a New Journey
Munyaradzi Munyati
2015-08-27
Finally, the journey that I have been preparing myself for since that special April evening has begun. All the waiting and frantic running around to get this vaccine and that visa has ended up with me on the airport floor preparing myself for a 9+ hour flight. One would think that after packing up and...
Read More
A Journal Entry Into Mindfulness
Noah Hapke
2015-08-27
It’s about time to leave for Quito, and the transformation is already extraordinary. Sitting in the Redwoods, my back against a sixty-five foot tree, I have began to learn that comfort lies within one’s self, probably, more than expected. Leaving my home in Huntington Beach, my family and friends, everything I had grown accustomed to,...
Read More
Bridge of Serendipity
Alice Wong
2015-08-27
When people ask me why I am taking a bridge year, I always have my answer ready. I would respond succinctly that I have an intense desire to gain maturity, as I will not be eighteen upon entering college. I want to understand the local culture, learn Spanish and learn how to dance. I want...
Read MoreSomos El Mundo
Brianna Gilmore
2015-08-27
The Saturday before I left, my mom bursts into my bedroom with her phone playing one of my favorite songs “We Are The World”. However, this version wasn’t the original 1985 for Africa, or the 2010 25thanniversary for Haiti. It was called “Somos El Mundo 25 por Haiti”. It was a version...
Read More
What’s up, Gabriella?
Gabriella Westcott
2015-08-26
“Oh hey, Bree!” “Whats up, Gabi?” “Hey Bridget, are you the one who lost their phone?” “It’s Libby, right?” “BREENANASSSS!” Although I couldn’t tell you where Bridget or Libby derived from, the amount of different names that have been bestowed upon me this last week is undeniably too many. But it’s understandable. Since birth, I’ve...
Read More