Hiking in beautiful Colorado
Describe a typical day as the Assistant Director of Youth International.
A typical day for me involves some outreach and some administration. In the morning, I might write a newsletter to the gap year consultants with whom we keep in regular contact, set up social media posts, or reach out to alumni. In the afternoon, I might plan our attendance at gap year fairs, make edits to our website, or work on the itineraries for upcoming semesters.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
My graduate education is useful in providing me with the credentials and skill set to design and teach the university credit courses that our participants can opt to take during our semester programs. More broadly, my background in Liberal Arts - which included the study of several foreign languages - together with the cultural immersion I experienced during my extended stays in remote locations conducting archaeological research, prepared me for my work with YI.
What are some current projects you are working on?
We are looking to re-start the Africa & Middle East program after several years of having it on hold. This is especially exciting for me because I have spent a lot of time traveling and working in the Middle East, and the cultures of this region are close to my heart.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
For me, there is no pre-travel self. My parents valued international travel and, as educators, they had flexible schedules that allowed for backpacking and budget travel to be built into our family life. I took a gap year between grade school and middle school, which is kind of unusual.
Exploring ruins in Mexico
Are there any developments with Youth International that you would like to share with us?
Youth International is one of the oldest gap year organizations in the United States, and we continue to stand by our original program structure: three countries, three months, three core components: volunteer work, homestays, and outdoor adventure. We are excited to announce that YI has recently been accredited by the Gap Year Association for demonstrating excellence in the field of gap year education and having passed all required Standards, which are approved by the US Department of Justice.
Ziplining in Costa Rica
What is Youth International's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our mission is to open the doors for young adults to discover a broader perspective on the world while developing a deeper understanding of themselves and their place within the world.
Our focus is on inter-cultural exchange. By spending time immersed in different communities and living life alongside host families, our participants gain a profound, personal, experiential knowledge of other cultures. We also facilitate discussion and reflection around these experiences, so that participants can deepen their learning and share their new understanding with people at home.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
We hope that our participants become more thoughtful citizens of the world after completing our program, that they gain a more nuanced understanding of the wide spectrum of human experience, and that they come to better understand themselves. We also hope that they learn how to be savvy budget travelers, who are equipped with the skills to travel independently and authentically after the program is over.
What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?
The number one question concerns safety - parents want to feel confident that their son or daughter will be safe with us on the other side of the world. Our response to that concern is that we always put safety above all else. We have a detailed emergency response plan for a wide variety of scenarios, and leaders who are trained in emergency response. If necessary, we will alter the itinerary at the last minute if there are security concerns in the region we were planning on going to. YI has passed a thorough review of safety protocols in order to be accredited by the Gap Year Association.
A coastline walk in Italy
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
Language is not only words but a way of thinking. Sometimes learning the expression for something in a different language can provide insight into what that concept means for a culture. At a more basic level, learning even a few words of a language when you are visiting a foreign country demonstrates courtesy and respect.
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
My advice is to start with the big picture: What do I hope to learn? What experiences would I value most highly? From there, you can start to narrow down destinations, and look into programs that can facilitate the experiences you are looking for. If you will be traveling independently, it is important to look at the average cost of travel in the countries you would like to visit, and set yourself a budget based on how long you want to be away.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel to me means engaging with local people in a real way, getting to know what their day-to-day life is like and what their values are. Sometimes it helps to get off the main tourist routes. My favorite stop when I was visiting China was a random town I ended up in by chance, when through some miscommunication we bought train tickets to the wrong place. It led to some interesting interactions with the local people! Travel with an open mind and some flexibility in your schedule.
