How did you discover and get involved with GoBeyond?
After college, I spent around five years bouncing from seasonal camp jobs in the U.S. to personal travels abroad. My two primary passions at the time were working with youth in non-traditional educational settings and traveling, especially to developing countries. At some point, it occurred to me that I might combine these two passions into a career. I hopped online and found Lifeworks International (now GoBeyond Student Travel) via a simple Google search. I didn’t realize at the time, but that simple act would set the stage for much of my personal and professional present-day life. I applied to the program and was lucky enough to be hired as a summer service-adventure guide for the Ecuador and Galapagos program in 2007. At the time, I was also pursuing a Masters in Experiential Education. I needed an internship for graduation and ended up at the Lifeworks office in 2008. I grew into my current role quickly after that, and now the rest is history!
Touring the Golden Temple, India
What is the most fulfilling aspect of your job?
My job is quite diverse, ranging from marketing and sales to operations and program development. While the artist in me enjoys a lot of the web and design projects that end up on my desk, I’d say the most fulfilling aspect of my job is having the privilege of designing and delivering the programs themselves. From setting the itineraries to making the bookings to hiring and training staff to building new programs and more, it really is a wonderful and humbling feeling when students come back from summer raving about the experience, and knowing I played an important role in making it happen.
Working with a center for adolescent mothers, Casa Mantay in Peru
How many students typically participate in GoBeyond each year?
Typically, we host around 200 students per summer on our GoBeyond programs. Our umbrella company, Global Expeditions Group, also operates two other brands—ActionQuest (teen adventure travel) and Sea|mester (college-level semester at sea program). All combined, we typically host 700-800 students annually.
Who would be the most successful type of GoBeyond participant?
GoBeyond students come from all different backgrounds and have a range of experiences and personalities. As such, I’d say success on our program is defined less by a student’s personality/background and more by a student’s motivation level and openness to the experience. Our trips are inherently challenging. We design them to be that way, so it’s important for each student to be comfortable when stretching themselves and getting out of their comfort zone. Those that really embrace the challenges and learning opportunities naturally walk away with the best memories and highest level of personal growth.
How do you ensure students are prepared for their travels abroad?
There are a number of steps involved in our application and pre-trip preparation process. Typically, there are detailed conversations with students/parents before a family even enrolls. This gives us the opportunity to explain what each trip is like, what preparations need to be made, and whether or not it’s a good fit for a particular student. After applying, we try to touch base with every family again to ensure they understand the nature of our program, our rules, etc. This is also our opportunity to answer questions and talk about pre-program paperwork and planning. Around March, we also release our GoBeyond Pre-Trip Packet with Packing List and Visa Instructions (when applicable). These documents are quite thorough and include a lot of nitty-gritty details about the trip and what needs to happen prior to summer.
Snorkeling Las Grietas, Galapagos Islands
What do you feel is your most exciting program?
This is an impossible question to answer! All of our programs offer something unique—something special—and each one is exciting in its own way. Whether that’s caring for disabled orphans in China, hiking the Lares Trek in Peru, snorkeling between two continental plates in Iceland, or tagging and releasing sea turtles in the British Virgin Islands, I can say from years of personal experience...it’s quite difficult to pick a favorite!
How do you stay in contact with your alumni? Do you offer post-program services?
Many of our students maintain contact with their staff well after the program’s end. We encourage this kind of staff-to-student mentorship when possible. Oftentimes, students also maintain contact with our program partners abroad, such as the orphanages we work with in China or the center for adolescent mothers we work with in Peru. It’s not uncommon for students to organize fundraisers, return trips, etc. after the program. We try to engage our students as much as possible—for long into the future—whether that’s through email touchpoints, conversations on social media, etc.
Why should future participants be excited to get involved with GoBeyond?
I believe a lot of our programs and trips are quite unique and niche in our field. As such, it’s not cliche to say GoBeyond students are truly offered one-of-a-kind experiences abroad. If you’re looking for a new and exciting adventure and an opportunity to give back to our international community in a meaningful way, GoBeyond is sure to provide the trip of a lifetime!
