“After having gone on the program and the trip, whenever I go walk around in Seattle, I notice things that I wouldn’t have usually noticed. I could be walking down the street, and I could see homeless people in a whole other view. I feel like there’s this system of inequality in everything. Before, I would have not seen that. I would’ve just seen a homeless person asking for money. I feel like I have the power to impact the world and that I should strive to do that”
IN ONE WORD, WHAT DO YOU FEEL NOW YOU HAVE BEEN PART OF GV?
“Engaged”
I’m a high school junior and I serve on the Global Visionaries (GV) Youth Board. Specifically, I’m an immersion leader. I go down to Guatemala as a resource and role model for the first-year participants. When I went to Guatemala as a first-year participant,I watched myself and everyone around me grow, and I knew I wanted to be a part of that again.My leadership role now is very meaningful to me. I try my best to be a source of knowledge and a good role model for the new participants It’s a lot of pressure to always demonstrate the right things to do, but that’s what leadership means to me.
I was so shy when I joined GV. I remember attending my first GV Culture Night and just standing alone in a corner because I was afraid to let other people see who I really was. Slowly I started to take to heart GV’s mantra, which is to get out of your comfort zone, and I began to be myself, which allowed me to get close to the other participants. Now I bring so much more confidence to every activity I do, whether it’s wrestling, math class, or just interacting with new people.
After experiencing the program, I started noticing things I wouldn’t have noticed before. I might see a homeless person while walking down the street. Before, I would have just seen someone asking me for money. Now I recognize a whole system of inequality and it prompts me to think about how I can make a positive impact. The old me might have put a few coins in the cup and then forgotten about it. But now I feel that I absolutely have to take it further and do my part to change the world.
I was a recipient of a scholarship, and that was a huge decision factor for me. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to join GV and go to Guatemala. The support of the donors let me have this incredible experience. It’s been so eye-opening for me, and I’m forever indebted to the people who helped me in this personal transformation. Thank you.
Global Visionaries is fortunate to have the support of many amazing teachers throughout the Puget Sound area, many of whom have been contributing to GV for several years in ways unseen yet crucial to our shared success. One of these educators is Paul Fischburg, a teacher of Junior IB History of the Americas at Chief Sealth International High School.
Previous to becoming an educator Paul enjoyed a twenty-year career in architecture, construction, and community development and lead a non-profit organization that built affordable housing and community facilities in the Chief Sealth neighborhood. With a rich background of experience to draw from Paul brings valuable perspective and leadership skills to GV, although he says learning to let go has been an important lesson he’s gained through working with youth.
“Now that I am a high school classroom teacher, the GV experience has helped me teach” Paul said, adding that he is able to trust his students to take the lead, impact the direction, and to share the responsibility for where they go as a class.
Paul decided to get involved with GV after a neighbor participated in the first-year leadership program and he saw first-hand how the program helped youth realize their power and potential. Of this experience Paul says he was impressed by the way young people were given the support and autonomy to lead the organization to a new level. Since this initial experience Paul has stepped in to help in several roles both in Seattle and Guatemala.
Today, Paul and his family are hosting one of the Guatemalan staff here in Seattle for six months. Paul expressed how he adores the Guatemalan staff; “Most of the adults involved in GV – parents and teachers, don’t get to meet or know the GV staff. They are wonderful, funny, professional, playful, brilliant, strong, compassionate, and giving”. Paul looks forward to renewing these friendships each year when he returns to Guatemala as an immersion leader, which he says is his favorite part of serving at GV.
“Sharing this experience with a group of young people who become like family, to open up to the learning, growing and feeling that comes from being in a new culture has been so powerful and gratifying to me” Paul says. And we couldn’t agree more, Paul has become like family and we couldn’t be more grateful.
Global Visionaries (GV) serves as an equalizer by bringing together two cultures through the face of youth. A rare moment in GV history is captured here, where two previous participants who joined GV in the same year – one on the Seattle program, the other in Guatemala – now reflect on what valuable experiences they have gained individually and how they hope GV has shaped their futures. Today, Billy and Emma have graduated from GV and are now staff members who share valuable insights and advice on what impacts GV relationships and experiences shaped for them in becoming the young adults they are today:
How did you hear about Global Visionaries and why did you join?
Billy: It’s an interesting story, but I didn’t want to. My best friend actually signed me up after a presentation at my school. I was really skeptical about it all, and I did not want to get dirty working on construction and reforestation teams. In Guatemala, volunteering is not part of our culture. We (Guatemalans) need to work, so it didn’t make sense to me at the time. My best friend at the time, signed me up and he convinced me and challenged me to do something different. So I gave it a shot.
Emma: I remember it so clearly, I remember Mario Flores (GV’s Program Director) speaking in my Spanish class about the disparity of his country and how GV was an opportunity to make a difference, and what better way to do that than during summer break? I was very involved in athletics but something about the opportunity to make a difference inspired me to make that leap and take on another commitment. I had gone on a trip to Rome with my middle school and since then have always looked for ways to explore cultures outside of my own. I didn’t realize just how much personal impact GV would have, aside from providing me the opportunity to travel again.
What was it like first interacting with young people your age, from another country and culture?
Billy: I remember exactly. I was on the bus with the “gringos,” on the way to construction… and I remember they (the trip leaders) started facilitating questions like, “Where are you from, what’s your name, what do you do for fun…etc….” It was very awkward because I didn’t speak any English, and my partner didn’t speak any Spanish. But it was fun and by the end of the day I felt more comfortable interacting with “los gringos” and more bonded with my Guatemalan friends. I also stopped caring about being dirty.
Emma: I was so nervous! It was awkward, uncomfortable, and very strange to say the least. Meeting students your age from another school at home was already outside of my comfort zone, but at least we had a common background – Seattle. This was completely different. I remember being paired with a Guatemalan participant, and we were asked to interview one another about, “What is your favorite food, what do you like to do in your free time…etc.” My answers were short-ended, there was a lot of hand gestures, and a lot, a lot of silence but there was a lot of nervous smiling, too.
How did GV inspire you to take action in your community?
Billy: Well, in my first experience it was great to get to know “los gringos.” But most importantly, I later realized that when we were together during a GV activity, we broke down all the stereotypes (nerds, cool kids, etc..) and GV helped create that space. I continued working with GV because it felt like a community and family outside of school and my own family. It inspired me, because it gave me an opportunity and a space, to give back to my peers (future Guatemalan participants). There’s so much segregation in my country with social classes, and no uniformity so it’s important to talk about the structures and divides in Guatemala. GV creates a space where youth can be themselves. GV also helps to breakdown those social boundaries to create more unity.
Emma: Before my experience in Guatemala, a group of alumni (the GV Youth Board) had facilitated a workshop on systematic oppression. I was really impressed that kids my age were conducting these conversations and facilitating activities that would encourage us to speak on real-life issues in our community. Issues that affect us all: racism, sexism, classism, imperialism, etc. As a daughter of two moms, I have experienced discrimination first and second-hand and GV gave me the language to tell my story, and the space to hear other peoples’ experience. I saw the root of activism was not being afraid to have “difficult” conversations about the issues people face every day, including myself.
What tools did GV equip you with to better follow your passions?
Billy: It provided me space, and opportunity to grow professionally and personally. GV supported me in being more confident in myself, and speaking my words, thoughts and opinions. Traveling to the United States I had a newfound understanding of how to work with others, after seeing their culture. This experience gave me insight on how to create a stronger relationship between the two cultures.
Emma: GV reminded me to use my voice, to step outside my comfort zone, and to work hard. Since my first year with GV I am more confident in my ability to communicate myself to others. I appreciate a hard work-ethic, and strive to demonstrate it to others daily. Leading by example, more than anything else, is the greatest tool GV gave to me as a leader.
What changes have you seen in one another, after going through the program, and now as staff?
Billy: When I first met Emma, she was very introverted and quiet so I didn’t get to know her very well. The second time she came to Guatemala, she became more lively and started to speak her mind and share her thoughts and opinions. When she left Guatemala after her work as a GAP year student, I noticed she was following her passions in the social movement and was very active in addressing many issues. Today, I see a strong woman who speaks her mind and works for her community. As staff, we understand each other better, because we understand our cultural backgrounds.
Emma: I remember Billy as a very outgoing character. His excitement for the program, and willingness to get to know us “gringos” was impressive. I aspired to be like that. He kept a good sense of humor and always made people laugh. As staff, I am constantly reminded of his good humor which he has managed to maintain in his development as a young adult and staff member here at GV. I’m happy to be working with him and learning from him.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself when you first started the program?
Billy: I would have told myself, “Billy, why didn’t you jump in!? Ask questions?” I was very curious about a lot of things with the “gringos”, and it would have been important for me to get to know them more at that time. I wish I gave myself the time to get to know my friends (Guatemalans) better, so I could understand what it means to make connections and relationships with people. I would encourage myself to ask more, and let people get to know me.
Emma: I would have reminded myself that “it takes friction to make a surface smooth”. The first time speaking with and learning from another person is a process! Everything takes practice, and every effort is the best you can give at that time. When things seem awkward or uncomfortable, own it! Have fun, and enjoy the moment!
What legacy do you want to leave with Global Visionaries as a member of staff?
Billy: I want to leave a program for Guatemala, that is designed to be led by youth where participants can find a space to be themselves and follow their passions. I want to provide them with tools to take action in their community.
Emma: I hope to foster a sense of adventure, enthusiasm, and willingness to participate to the best of their ability with all activities no matter how silly they may seem. I also hope to serve as a support system to participants who come back from their immersion, and provide more opportunities for them to reflect and expand their thoughts with others outside of GV. There’s a whole world out there, of other organizations and groups that our students could get involved in. I hope to give our participants opportunities.
I am so inspired by the words of Samrawit Zeinu, a senior at Chief Sealth International High School, who has grown through Global Visionaries for three years.
I am asking you to read about her GV experience in her own words and then partner with us to empower another young leader like Samrawit today by making a gift – whether it is $10 or $100 – to empower a young person today.
Through the hospital volunteer work I did, I learned that material wealth is not important. It is who I am and what my beliefs are that are important. Before GV, I didn’t have confidence. When I faced problems, I kept to myself. After GV, not only did I have more confidence in myself but I am also more assertive. I am more open to feedback and I am able to speak about how I feel. I learned that the way issues turn out depend on my reactions to them. That made me want to change how I reacted to things.
GV changed my outlook on the world – how I perceive things should be. It hit me at my core.
It has been three years since I completed the [First Year GV Leadership Program] but the values I learned are still strong inside of me. If I catch myself complaining, I remember my brothers and sisters in Ethiopia and my friends in Guatemala don’t have enough. I now hold myself accountable. Before when I thought about home, Ethiopia, I thought of my family. Now, when I think of my country, I think of its problems on a global scale. As a matter of fact, I think about countries all around the world. GV has made me want to contribute to the country that has made me the person I am. I intend to become a cardiovascular surgeon with Doctors Without Borders. I want to give those countries the voice they deserve.
Global Visionaries, much more than just another cultural immersion program, provides the educational and leadership platform enabling youth to develop the necessary skills to change their own habits and to transform their local and global communities through social entrepreneurship. Please give online now or mail a check to:
Global Visionaries 2524 16th Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98144
I am so grateful for your continued support. I wish you and your family a joyful 2013.
p.s. you can also see Samrawit’s full speech on video
Thank you,
Christopher Fontana, Executive Director
Global Visionaries
Please join us in welcoming new staff and interns at Global Visionaries!
Amy Maguire, Development Manager
Amy Maguire has been a fan of Global Visionaries since she was first introduced in the summer of 2004, while working as the Director of Community Development at the Seattle based non-profit Arts Corps, where she started as a founding staff member in 2001.
Most recently, she comes to us from New York, where she spent the last 8 years as the Director of Development and producer for Triple Threat TV, a documentary film and television company (shout out to TTT!!). During her years in New York, she kept her eye on GV and during a trip to Guatemala with friends last year, ended up spending the day with the GV staff in Antigua. Her passion ignited, she was delighted when the position for Development Manager became available and is thrilled to be part of this incredible team. “It is a privilege to support this mission!”
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Angie Marshall, Youth Board Coordinator
Angie is a Maine native who moved to Seattle in September to begin her 2012-13 Americorps Volunteer position as the Global Visionaries Youth Board Coordinator. In May 2012, Angie completed her MS in Environmental Science and Policy from Clark University in Worcester, MA. She did extensive research on Green “Cluster” Development as a Research Assistant and as the Program Coordinator at the environmental non-profit The Institute for Energy & Sustainability. During her undergrad at Clark she worked at the Boys and Girls Club as the Athletics Assistant and was a research assistant at Harvard Forest.
Outside of GV, Angie enjoys soccer, lacrosse, water skiing, reading, hiking, cooking and exploring. She studied abroad in Costa Rica, road-tripped the Northwest coast, visited Spain and Greece, and has spent a month travelling around Peru. Her favorite place to be, and where she’s created her best memories and friendships is at her family’s cabin on a lake in NH. While in Washington, Angie’s trying to brush up on her Spanish language and to discover the natural beauty of the Northwest. She’s excited for the relationships and personal growth she has already gained and will continue to gather as part of the GV team!
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Kenna Stout, PR & Communications Intern
Born in Los Angeles, Kenna Stout settled in Seattle two years ago, following a four-year stint in Olympia at the Evergreen State College. Over the years, she has worked for social justice, youth empowerment, poverty action, advocacy for the homeless and education. Kenna currently works with children under five years old and wanted to intern with GV’s PR and communications team as the mission resonates with her. She hopes to pursue a master’s degree in communication in the near future.
Kenna is an avid food blog reader, gluten free baker and experimental cook. She also loves Chinese dim sum! Vegetarians may find it disturbing that she is enamored with cooking every inch of an animal. As an ex-vegan, she also makes a great vegan meal and loves playing with the textures and flavors of vegetables. Just don’t ask her to eat cinnamon! “I hope over the next coming months you enjoy reading GV’s blog and newsletter!”
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Sara Metheny, Office Manager
Sara Metheny is a 2010 graduate of UC Berkeley where she focused on international development issues. Sara is very passionate about getting young people excited about global issues. You will often find her at thefront desk at Global Visionaries or running around solving problems in the office. Sara’s interests include biking, photography and philosophy and she has a strong penchant for sarcasm.
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Tiffany Lumley, Assistant Program Manager
Originally from Plymouth, Michigan, Tiffany got connected with Global Visionaries through a volunteer program. She is continually energized by GV’s mission to inspire youth to seek justice in their daily lives both in their communities and abroad. Resonating with the idea that education can inspire change, she has truly valued the opportunity to co-facilitate the Pro Justice team and learn from their commitment to social change.
Growing up in a bicultural household, Tiffany has always appreciated experiences that challenge her worldview and perspective. Tiffany graduated from Hope College in Holland, Michigan with a BA in Psychology and Spanish and a minor in Organizational Leadership. When she is not at GV, you will find Tiffany outside (even after four months on the West Coast she continues to be mesmerized by the beauty of the mountains), exploring new places and in conversation with anyone.
“I am honored to be a part of the GV family this year as we continue to explore youth leaders to look beyond our immediate circumstances and grow in our global citizenship.”
My name is Noel Chapman, and I am GV’s newest Communications & PR Intern. I am here with a group of students from the Matteo Ricci College in Seattle University. We are all majoring in the Bachelor of Arts and Humanities for Leadership Studies (long, I know).
“What is that?” you may ask. Well, it’s brand new and one of a few majors of its kind. The BAHL, as we call it, studies leadership theory and philosophy as well as those practical skills that all leaders should have. This has included classes from Humanistic Foundations for Leadership to Public Speaking. This major is directly related to accomplishing Seattle University’s goal of “empowering leaders for a just and humane world”, something that complements GV’s mission quite nicely.
One requirement for this major is a local internship during your sophomore year, hence why I am here. I am so excited to become a part of the GV community and to really learn what it takes for an organization like GV to thrive and grow, while hopefully learning some good office skills along the way. GV already seems like such a welcoming organization that I cannot wait to delve into the work waiting for me here.
As a Communications & PR Intern, I will be helping with the Global e-Vista, editing the PR Policy, and assisting in any way the Communications & PR Team needs me to. I was placed in this position because I have an interest in Marketing and am planning on getting a minor in it.
When I am not in school or working with GV, I am most likely trying to balance self-care and my job as a Resident Assistant in one of the dorms at Seattle University (Go Campion 2!). I love going to any little café in Seattle and hanging out with my friends and residents whenever I get a chance.
In the future, I plan on becoming a lawyer. This has been my goal for years, and so far, it continues to be. I am extremely passionate about the topic of human trafficking and would love to work with any of the organizations that are out there fighting it. This internship experience will provide me, in more ways than one, with some much needed experience and skill-building for my all my future plans.
My internship lasts until the end of Spring Quarter (June 2013), so I will hopefully be spending lots of time here. If you see me in the office, please say hello; I would love to talk to you.
ACT I
SCENE ONE
(A Day in the Life of a Global Visionaries Assistant Program Manager)
STRANGER: So what brought you to Seattle?
COURTNEY: I am working for a small non-profit called Global Visionaries.
STRANGER: Oh! I have never heard of it…Does it have something to do with eye care?
COURTNEY: (chuckle) In a nutshell, it coordinates a youth leadership program that culminates to an immersion experience in Guatemala.
STRANGER: Wow. That sounds really neat. So what do you do there?
COURTNEY: I create future global leaders. And what do you do?
STRANGER: (Silence)
SCENE TWO
(The Monologue)
COURTNEY: I, Courtney Greenley, have breathed, worked and lived behind the scenes of Global Visionaries (GV) for the past eleven months. Every day, the staff of GV straps up their work boots and prepares themselves for what they think they will be doing on that particular day. Unbeknownst to them, a jackhammer will be outside the window all day, the server will crash and the phones will not stop ringing. Without dropping a beat, the GV staff shuts the windows, blasts holiday music, recovers the server and cheerfully answers the phone. Who does that?! The answer is simple: A passionate team of people who believe in creating a just and sustainable future through youth leadership.
SCENE THREE
(The Moral of the Story)
NARRATOR: Global Visionaries is a community made up of individuals who strive to create change. This may be as small as buying direct trade coffee, or as large as coordinating a World Water Week. There are 365 days, 52 weeks, 8760 hours, 525,600 minutes in one year. Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi lived by the same rules of time, but what they did with their time was undeniably remarkable. Even Gandhi couldn’t snag a time-turner from Hermione Granger.
Marian Wright Edelman challenges the nation addicted to electronics and fast food. “A lot of people are waiting for Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi to come back – but they are gone. We are it. It is up to us. It is up to you.” The clock is ticking…and what do you do?
One of the great things about the work that we do here at Global Visionaries is being able to watch the students who’ve been a part our programs grow into young adults who go on to do some pretty interesting things – and knowing that in different ways, sometimes big and sometimes small, we had something to do with it.
Aimie Kawai went to Guatemala in the summer of 2009. She joined the GV Youth Board the following year as a senior in high school, where she worked as part of the Pro-Justice (PJ) team and helped pass on her knowledge and experience to the incoming group of First Year Leadership Program students. Through her interactions with Mario Flores, our Program Outreach Manager, and her experiences as a PJ facilitator, Aimie began to develop an interest in teaching others about injustice.
We’re proud to report that Aimie is currently attending Brown University and studying modern US history (find out why she settled upon this in her own words below). This summer, she is undertaking an internship with The Mentoring Partnership of New York (MPNY), where she is helping the organization promote the growth of mentoring by providing training and technical assistance to over 180 programs across all five boroughs. In particular, she will be working on fundraising and other events to promote the visibility of the work of the organization. When asked if there were any connections between her decision to work for MPNY and her time with GV, she says it is possible. Aimie thinks that her interest in the educational aspects of MPNY’s work may have come from the PJ work that she did as a GV youth board leader.
As for the future, Aimie isn’t quite sure yet, but she thinks that she may work with youth in some capacity. For now though, she’s planning on taking some time off from school next year. Aimie hasn’t taken any trips outside of the U.S. since her time with GV, but thinks that Ecuador may be in the cards. Or maybe spend some time in South America doing research into justice issues surrounding incarceration.
Or, perhaps, she’ll find herself WWOOFing. What’s THAT you ask? It stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms and is an exchange program where in return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts will provide food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles. What a way to take your experience to the next level if you happened to be a part of the coffee work team during the GV trip!
1. In what ways have your experiences with GV provided you with additional insight or understanding during the course of your studies? For example, would you say that your perspective of modern US history is enhanced by your exposure to pro-justice issues?
I think my experiences with GV helped spark an interest in understanding history from multiple perspectives. My work with pro-justice issues in particular exposed me to ideas of structural inequality and how that has shaped our country and our country’s history. I have gone on to study these concepts in greater depths, really enjoying learning about the US through a variety of lenses in order to get a greater scope of understanding. I like learning history beyond just the bare facts of what has happened, but rather as a history of social factors that have led to different events.
2. How do you think the skills and knowledge you’ve gained as a result of GV will help you in your internship this summer?
I think the skills I learned as an intern and a facilitator will help me in my internship this summer. I began to develop skills that help me find out where things need to be done and what needs to be accomplished in order for events (such as auctions or workshops) to be successful. This confidence and assertiveness comes from experience, and continues to develop in my work in NY.
3. Please tell us more about your ideas for what you might do with your time off from school.
I am not sure of my plans yet due to certain complications, but ideally I want to spend some time at home with my family and some time exploring a new place. I want to use this semester to relax and take a step back so that I will fully appreciate my spring semester of college. However, at the same time I hope to challenge myself in one or more directions. I think that one way that goal will be reached is through travel, and exploring a new country and culture.
Katie Wallace teaches Spanish at Chief Sealth International High School in Seattle and will be one of two area high school teachers who will be leading the Summer Trip (June 27-July 12). Stay tuned for photos and updates from Guatemala!
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¡Por fin! At last I will have the opportunity to travel to Guatemala with GV! I have dreamed of this trip ever since I worked as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Noah Zeichner’s Spanish classroom at Chief Sealth four years ago. It is hard to believe that three weeks from today I get to travel to Guatemala and serve alongside my own students from Sealth.
Why Guatemala and why GV? I love Spanish – the language and the people who speak it and the cultures in which it is spoken. As a Korean-American adoptee, I often surprise people (including my students and colleagues) with my love and knowledge of the Spanish language. My father is half-Mexican, so Mexican culture has always been a part of my life. My passion for social justice and my love for baseball have been driving forces in my longtime interest in Latin America. I can’t wait to experience Central America!
I love the energy and the grassroots feel of Global Visionaries. Chris is passionate, genuine and serious about his belief in young people’s capacity to learn, lead and love. Watching the students step out of their comfort zones, open their minds and facilitate meaningful dialogue impresses and inspires me.
Being immersed in Guatemalan culture, serving alongside locals and living with a Guatemalan family for two weeks – what an opportunity! This is beyond what we can ever offer within classroom walls during a normal school year. I am most excited about witnessing the participants’ growth as language learners and as human beings.
Encountering cultural differences is beautiful, challenging and rewarding. We are incredibly fortunate to have this experience ahead of us, one that will challenge our views, open our minds and undoubtedly impact the way we live. I look forward to working alongside my students, not just as a teacher, but as an adult participant with just as much to learn. I look forward to the tough questions, the “aha!” moments and the joys that come from building unexpected relationships.
Saludos desde San Miguel,The last few days have been very chill. The night rains have made for great sleep. Saturday we had the coffee tour, where my work team was able to talk about what they’d learned about the process of growing, harvesting and selling coffee. Then in the afternoon we shared an excellent group reflection followed by some gorgeous poetry which I hope will become a part of the first ever GV poetry anthology. We have a few sick kids, there is a cold going around and of course some stomach issues, but nothing serious that can’t be cured by sleep and plain rice. Sunday the group went to the ruins of Iximche everyone seems in good spirits.
Rita purchases the first bag ever sold on the coffee tour!
As you know, each year a few students from Youth Board are selected to become junior leaders. They attend some culture nights and the retreat and they work with Mary Dalton and myself to learn about what GV leadership requires. Then they accompany us on the trip as facilitators. This trip I am privileged to be working with Erica, Emma, and Lena. I’ve asked them each to write a little something so you could see the trip through their eyes:
The Junior Leaders: Emma, Lena, and Erica
Emma: I first traveled to Guatemala with GV three years ago, when I was a freshman in high school. When I first found out that I would be returning this year as a student leader, I was overwhelmed with excitement and nervousness; the only way I knew how to organize my emotions was to treat this year’s trip as an experiment. Like any good lab test, I had controlled and manipulated variables (I chose to again work on the Café work team, but I was three years older), a guiding question (“How will I respond to the exact same information for a second time?”), and what I believed was a firmly cemented hypothesis (“I will respond the exact same way, possibly/probably more mildly than before.”) Although I was thrilled for the backbreaking farm work, longed to expand my Spanish knowledge, and yearned for the self-transformation I had undergone three years earlier, I generally expected that this trip wouldn’t force me out of a well-groomed comfort zone for a second time. In fact, I was confident that I’d already broken any such zone.
Immediately upon our arrival in Guatemala, I knew I had been naïve and self-absorbed in my theories about this trip. It wasn’t at all easy to herd the group from gate to baggage claim to bus, actions that only required clear directions. I suddenly found myself unsure of how to balance being a friend and an enforcer, nervous around the group and fumbling with my directions. This was going to be so much harder than I thought.
More than my internal, melodramatic “action!” campaigns about local farming and innate imperialism, I’ve learned so much from this group of participants. I never thought I’d be softly encouraging rather than yelling at people to get work done. I never thought I’d receive a piece of information I didn’t question and criticize. This group is never cynical, never overly heady about everything they’re learning – they stay positive and upbeat; at the core they’re just an extraordinarily caring, inclusive group. I feel so honored to have worked with all of them, especially those on my work team, shout out to Café, for being so happy while working so hard. I had always thought the two were mutually exclusive.
In sum, I can’t believe how wrong I was two weeks ago when I assumed this trip would affect me the same way it did last time. And in wondering why my hypothesis was so far off, I’ve found that I conveniently left the people out of the equation. Somehow I overlooked that by being with different people, I’d learn something beautiful and new from each of them. I have been so, so shaken by this experience-by the language, the information, the work, the Guatemalan people, by yes, the food, but mostly by the kids-and I am infinitely lucky to have travelled this spring with GV. This time, I’m not dreading returning home because “my parents aren’t as nice as my homestay family,” or “my friends won’t understand.” This time I’m empowered to return more patient and focused on the love I need to repair.
Spring Program at Iximche
Erica: I was so ready to just to go back to Guatemala. When I found out that I was going back in September, I was looking forward to it and would think about it almost every single day. My responsibility as a Junior Leader was nothing like I imagined it to be. I thought I would just be another facilitator of the group and have the privilege of experiencing that same things that I got to experience last year as a participant. But little did I know this trip would become another great growing experience for me.
I find myself being shaped by the whole experience once again, though in ways that I didn’t expect. On my first day in the hospital, I was scared because the last time we went to the hospital I cried my eyes out. It was so hard for me, but as a leader I knew had to be brave in order to help my group do their best. So I encouraged them to take risks and I let go of my own fear so that they would let go of theirs and soon we were all working with patients and it just felt so good to know I helped create their positive experiences.
By the participants that I’ve witnessed grow, the chapines I’ve connected with, the staff I’ve gotten closer to and just being moved by the simple things here in Guatemala. Knowing my potential as a participant and just being able to lead this year has given me more that I could have ever expected. Not only has working in the hospital stretched my comfort zone once again, leading the participants, both the gringos and the chapines has allowed me to learn more about myself and allowed me to blossom in so many other ways. I love being able to plead them and mentor them and know that they are going to be the ones that will make our community and even this world a better place. I absolutely love it here.
Especially with it being my senior year, it’s nice to be reminded of how much I’ve grown because of being a part of GV. GV has had such a great influence in my life and I know for a fact I would not be the young empowered passionate woman I am today. Going to Guatemala once more has not only reminded me that this once in a lifetime experience is worth so much, but it has also allowed me to rediscover myself once again and is the center of my inspiration to step up and leave a positive mark in this world.
Thomas and Michaela posing at Iximche.
Lena: As excited as I was to return to Guatemala, the place where I had experienced the 15 most fun and meaningful days of my life, I could not ignore the nerves I was feeling before the trip. Even the first night in Guatemala, after a stressful travel day, I went to bed nervous for the weeks ahead. I felt so much pressure to exceed the expectations of the adult leaders and to make this a smooth, enjoyable experience for everyone. Yet I was not sure how to accomplish this. After the first full day, however, my worried had been put to rest, and I felt infinitely more confident and excited for the next day. With each day that passed, I grew more inspired and motivated by the group, by what we were learning, and by the memories we were all creating. Construction was hard work from day one, but my team kept up the positive energy and worked through the hot sun.
Communication with the chapines on our team also seemed to improve every day until we were all laughing together and playing jokes on one another. I was no longer nervous for each work day, but excited to work hard and see what memories will be made. But by the time the weekend arrived, I think everyone, gringo and chapine alike, needed some time to sleep and rest.
On Saturday, we had an interesting tour of the process of producing coffee followed by a beautiful poetry session. Then, on Sunday, all of the gringos and chapines headed to the Mayan ruins of Iximche where we learned about the Guatemalan Civil War and spent time relaxing and bonding with one another. Monday was another relaxing day; in the afternoon we watched a documentary about the Guatemalan Civil War then held a conversation about US imperialism. For me, and for many of the other participants, these three days were an important time to think critically about the injustices in Guatemala and our role in the world as US citizens.
With five full days ahead of us, this experience is far from over. But I can already feel the impact that this experience is having on me. I feel incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to return to Guatemala a second time and to be able to experience these 15 days with a truly amazing group of young people. One of my favorite parts of this journey has been witnessing the transformations of the participants.
Izet and Porter at Iximche!
Just to name a few, Izet has stepped way beyond her comfort zone and shows no hesitance to dance in the bus, to translate a lesson into Spanish for the group, or to strike up conversations with chapines. Aside from that, she works unbelievably hard at the construction site. Thomas has also amazed me: with each day, he tries harder and harder to speak Spanish and make connections with the chapines. It is clear in our group reflections that he has been very impacted by his experience so far and is thinking critically about the problems he has witnessed. These are only two examples of the changes I have seen. Every single participant has blossomed and grown in ways that I never expected. It has been inspiring and thought provoking to see the experience of the participants from a leader’s perspective. I have great faith in the abilities of every student on this program, and I cannot wait to see what further transformations the final days of the trip will bring.
Enabling young people to become global leaders, creating a just and sustainable future.
Global Visionaries 