Intro from Deborah, Program Director
Hello Everyone!
In the words of Edmund King:
“The key for me is always putting myself in the position of being a foreigner. What I mean by that is forcing myself to question my beliefs and the framework of how I live my life.”
While these words belong to someone else, they illustrate how I live my life both personally and professionally. I believe that one must be willing to remove oneself from the safety and security of one’s own natural environment to truly discover one’s place in this world. Experiencing and savoring other cultures is an unparalleled path to personal growth and discovery. I am privileged to be able to journey down this path with you.
I was born and raised in New York City and have been fortunate to experience places near and far. I spent four years at University of Wisconsin-Madison for my undergraduate education, studied abroad in Australia, lived in Vermont while obtaining my Masters in International Education from the SIT Graduate Institute, and spent some time in San Francisco taking a life coach training course. I have led international educational exchange programs to Belize, New Zealand, Kenya, and visited 10 countries on an around-the-world college semester program. My thesis, The American Gap Year, examined the Gap Year trend in America from college admissions advisors' perspectives and I have presented this research globally. While I was managing UNICEF’s personal and professional development program for staff members and their families, I facilitated trainings in 5 Latin American countries. All in all, I have been to every continent except for Antarctica!
Every experience I have encourages me to learn and grow and, in turn, helps to shape my worldview. I am confident that this upcoming India experience will continue to enhance my personal and professional development. You too will be transformed by this experience and I will be there, alongside you, to encourage, support, and facilitate this growth.
Over the next 3 months, you will be ambassadors of the youth of the United States. What an important role for you to be playing at a time when hope and change are in our hearts yet global conflict is still prevalent. You will be asked to contribute your own unique strengths to the cultures we are visiting as well as to our group as a whole. I feel honored to be a witness to and a guide on your process of heart and mind expansion.
Congratulations on choosing the road less traveled. I look forward to getting to know each of you better over the next couple of months.
All the best,
Deb