Fellow Stories
True gap year stories from Fellows abroad!
Check out the latest blogs from Global Citizen Year Fellows in Brazil, Ecuador, and India!
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Class Year
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In Loving Memory of Myself
Sebastian Paine
2017-04-18
There's a saying that goes a bit like this: you can never step into the same river twice – for the river will not be the same, nor will you. Many moons ago, I wrote a blog while five or six miles up in the sky, on the way to spend my Global Citizen Year...
Read MorePacking
Agustina Romero
2017-04-11
Open my bag; find things I never unpacked. I'm ready to leave. Among the many learnings, one was the importance of family and support system. My family and my support system. I'm ready for them. I look at my wardrobe, my bed, the floor. There are clothes, gifts, masala, everywhere. I look at my bag...
Read MoreGoing “Back” Home
Valencia Meredith
2017-04-09
A few days ago, during TS3, we were shown a Ted Talk. I do not remember the name of the Ted Talk, not even the speaker, but one message stuck with me- there is no going back. This speaker was a woman who stayed in many parts of the world. She is a Ghanaian, born...
Read MoreForming Relationships in India
Valencia Meredith
2017-04-09
Making friends is definitely not my forte. I’m a pretty awkward person. At times I even hold a conversation. So when I am able to make a genuine connection with a person, I don’t want to let that go. While living in India, I’ve had the chance to make these connections with people outside of...
Read MoreLetting Go & Going Home
Emma Sexton
2017-04-06
I can only begin to imagine the interactions I’ll have when I return home to the United States – endless questions concerning what I’ve experienced and learned over the course of the past eight months. At their core, these questions revolve around one key topic: what I’m taking with me from my experience, whether it...
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Meaningful Expression
Lucky Whitburn-Thomas
2017-04-03
"Art is the most complex, most vitalizing, and civilizing of human actions…Our culture is full of those illiterates of emotional life, who live without ever attempting to translate their emotions into meaningful expression. To live without this, means emotional starvation just as missing food means starvation of the body." – Laszlo Moholy-Nagy This is the...
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Acting on Inspiration
Lucky Whitburn-Thomas
2017-04-03
Why Loiter? Women & Risk on Mumbai Streets by Shilpa Phadke, Sameera Khan, and Shilpa Ranade. This book is basically a giant argument that women need access to public space decrease sexism and rates of sexual harassment/assault, specifically in Mumbai. It has changed the way I think of gender roles. The book was also one of...
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Something to Look Forward to
Lucky Whitburn-Thomas
2017-04-03
A dark cloud of smog blasted me in the face today. I almost cried and yelled, “I want to go HOME!” I miss home a lot. My secret running trails, my bike, tacos, chilling at my dad’s with jazz in the background, my mom’s crazy hats, acting as I want in public without being starred at,...
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The Little Things
Lucky Whitburn-Thomas
2017-04-03
“Intake of more food than necessary is called ___chocolate___.” I feel the same. Grading tests is not my favorite part of my apprenticeship, but these moments make days so much more enjoyable.
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A day in the life of…ME!!!
Lucky Whitburn-Thomas
2017-04-03
Hey, I’m Lucky! I’m from Berkeley, California and am spending my Global Citizen year in India. Here’s a glimpse into my daily life in Pune. Enjoy! 1. Hit my alarm clock and wake up finally. Fried roti for breakfast, yay! Just kidding my stomach really can’t take fried foods in the morning, but I eat...
Read MoreWhy Mentors Matter
Alejandro Flores Monge
2017-03-26
“Thank you, David Brooks. I’ve been waiting for your wise words since Weds morning,” was the first sentence of the Facebook post that made it all click (I couldn’t resist the pun). It was like a sort of circuit, pieces added and connected one step at a time until you flip the power switch and everything comes...
Read MoreLessons From the Classroom
Valencia Meredith
2017-03-26
So while I’ve been in India, I’ve been working at a government school in Pune, India. And I have to say, it’s been quite an experience. When I first entered my classroom I was scared out of my mind. My first thought was “What am I getting myself into”. I had no training nor did...
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