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
Disconnecting in order to connect
Benoit Dupras
2017-03-22
Hey guys, it’s been a while I haven’t written a blog in nearly three months, and I have some reasons to account for that: I was busy travelling around the country, I had a lot on my hands with my apprenticeship change (which ended up being a perpetual one), the holidays with my host...
Read More
Full Circle
Allison Markowski
2017-03-21
Full Circle When I was first informed about the details of my apprenticeship all those months ago in Quito’s Parque Carolina, I was slightly terrified, for lack of a better explanation. I was to be assisting in the special education school in Gualaceo, a town I knew nothing about at the time. While my high...
Read MoreHow Changing My Name Changed More Than Just That
Delaney McKinley
2017-03-20
My previous blog post was about embracing all of the things that make me who I am, but I also mentioned a later blog post in which you could read about how I made some changes within myself that lead to even more happiness. As promised – How Changing My Name Changed More Than Just...
Read MoreWhy Mentors Matter
Alejandro Flores Monge
2017-03-19
"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...
Read More
Her only holiday
Jasen Lo
2017-03-18
She shines the flashlight into the well. 5:00 before sunrise, she fetches water so that her husband can wash and perform the Morning Prayer. Her family is Muslim. Muslim men are allowed 4 wives – She is the second. She still has to care for all children of the household, even if they’re not hers....
Read MoreThe Hyena, the Hare, and the Cow
Gloria Kirk
2017-03-18
I have been collecting folktales as a part of my community project. Most of my stories have come from Fellow, Thea’s host dad who is the village chief of Yendane. I record the stories in Laalaa, write down and understand with my host dad, then translate word for word in English. I rewrote this tale...
Read MoreA glimpse into my life…through music
Ian Herel
2017-03-17
I’d like to call this my meaningful Ecuadorian playlist as these songs are not necessarily my favorite, but each triggers a significant memory during my experience here. (note: most of these songs aren’t actually by an Ecuadorian artist) Wiskisito By: Everyone (Jokiwas) [vc_video link=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QzKdoclS2Y’] For me Wiskisito has to be the most quintessential...
Read MoreRokku Mi Rokka
Delaney McKinley
2017-03-16
Rokku Mi Rokka This is the story of how toothless smiles, free bissap juice, and endless repetitions of catch helped me to find my purpose. I’ve read multiple, nearly identical, testimonies of moving to a foreign land, being pushed to incomprehensible limits, and then discovering a newfound strength and confidence that was hidden deep within....
Read MoreYou Should Support Empowering Years For A Reason You Didn’t Know (English & Español)
Agustina Romero
2017-03-16
Why did you take a gap year? Why wouldn’t I if I could? I get asked this question so many times because many believe “education” equals sitting down in a classroom for 12, 16, 19 years, and that that’s only how you can gain important skills, making gap years a lazy thing for...
Read More