The Young Leader

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Adventures in Costa Rica by Gabrielle Deitch

August 2

After Taylor and I landed at Liberia airport, we were able meet a lot of the other people from GLA including some of the mentors. I was happily surprised to find out that a girl in my Sports Service group was from the same town as me, even though I had never met her! Once everyone had arrived at the airport we all took a bus ride to Ecoplaya, our homebase for the trip. The view was always amazing, no matter where we were. After stopping at a supermarket and driving for about one and a half hours we arrived at Ecoplaya, which is spectacular! I didn’t know exactly what to expect since I had only seen pictures, but the pool, thatch roofed dining area, and beautiful palm trees definitely exceeded anything I had imagined. Taylor and I met our other two roommates, Brooke and Abby, who seem super nice! I am so excited for the rest of this trip!

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August 3

Today we had orientation and met our family groups/leaders. Since the sports service section is pretty small, we are all in the same family group, and Mateo is our leader. We did a scavenger hunt, but instead of finding items on a list we had to do things like dancing on the beach and jumping into the pool. I can’t wait to see what all the other groups did! Later that night we went to a nearby beach to watch one of the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen!

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August 4

Today was filled with adventure! We got an early start to make sure we had time for all of the amazing activities that were in store, including zip lining, horseback riding, and whitewater rafting. Since it was my first time zip lining, I was really nervous at first, but the nerves quickly went away and I had so much fun! Horseback riding was also really fun, especially when we stopped at a cliff and all took turns jumping into the water below. We continued the adventure with rafting. The water was surprisingly cold, but it was great nevertheless.

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August 5

Today was our first service day. We began painting the community center and played with the kids who were super friendly! We also got to walk around the community a little bit. We saw some families and a building that a previous GLA group had painted. That night we learned more about Costa Rica and later listened to some scary stories.

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GLA Alum Demonstrates Impact of Teenage Travel

“I firmly believe that the more people who have the opportunity to learn about themselves and give back to others, the better off our world will be.”

–Adam Willis

Name: Adam Willis
Hometown: Berlin, MA
Education: University of Massachusetts, Class of 2017
Interests and Passions:
Firm believer that summertime means “no shoes unless you’re working”
Vegetable farmer on a 7th generation family farm in his hometown
Confirmation sponsor for two young Catholics
Transformational Experiences:
Children of China, Beijing
African Leadership and Service, Johannesburg
Service in the Sacred Valley, Peru
Making an Impact: Demonstrating the value of travel for personal and professional growth

It’s easy to miss how unique Adam Willis is when you first meet him.

Easygoing, a natural leader, and incredibly compassionate, he’s the type of young man who feels like he could be your neighbor or classmate. He plays basketball. He has a job. He can talk to anyone– and he makes an effort to do so.

When GLA Director of Admissions Jessica Miller initially met Adam, she saw “an all-American teen, eyes wide with curiosity, a deep intellect and an interest in Chinese culture and Mandarin language.”

He had just arrived in Beijing, China for his first GLA Program, and he had worked ardently to fundraise for the trip and convince his parents to allow him to go. By the end of his three weeks in China, “Adam had fully embraced exploring the world and had furthered his passion for the Chinese culture, and I realized how special he was. He threw himself completely into the experience- and it was reflected in his attitude and genuine appreciation.”

This love and appreciation for immersion in new cultures led Adam to travel on two additional GLA programs after his experience in China. South Africa and Peru were next on his list.

“One of the most amazing things about traveling and experiencing new cultures is the opportunity to have dialogue with those who are different than you. That level of diversity is a driving force in my passion for immersion in developing countries. I’ve learned so much about myself and opened up to the world around me. Every time I travel, I learn more about different people and places in the world- and it’s impossible to pick a favorite.”

Adam’s appreciation for travel is vast, and so is the lens through which he views the opportunities that await in his future.

“My GLA programs were incredibly eye-opening to me. From learning about the intense urban issues South Africa faces to hiking Machu Picchu, I grew to love the people and cultures that I experienced. I realized, though, that I couldn’t pick a favorite. There wasn’t one thing that stuck out to me, or one country where I knew I needed to focus my energy. Instead, my time spent with GLA gave me an appreciation for the process of being immersed in a new place. It’s an experience unlike any other.”

Thanks to his love for experiencing diverse cultures and spending time in developing countries, Adam is pursuing an International Fares Certificate (in addition to advanced language study in Spanish and Mandarin) at the University of Massachusetts. He hopes to use the lessons he has learned through travel to inspire others.

“Travel is all about opening yourself to new experiences and embracing the personal transformation that takes place. I don’t feel bound by the regions and cultures I’ve already been exposed to. Instead, I’ve come to realize that you can experience those same transformations in an infinite number of places- whether you’re on the other side of the world or in your hometown. You simply have to open yourself up to them.”

For now, Adam is continuing to learn as much as he can, while determining how best to transform his appreciation for travel and personal growth into a career.

“I’m still in the process of learning Mandarin, I am reading a book on Peru, and I’m wearing a bracelet that I bought in South Africa 2.5 years ago. GLA has completely impacted me, and completely impacted my attitude and goals for the future.”

He’ll keep that influence in mind as he moves forward.

“Who knows- maybe one day I’ll start my own service program. I firmly believe that the more people who have the opportunity to learn about themselves and give back to others, the better off our world will be.”

Programs Adam Attended:
Children of China, Beijing
African Leadership and Service, Johannesburg
Service in the Sacred Valley, Peru

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10 Tips for Becoming a Leader

There are hundreds of books and websites devoted to discussing and defining what it is to be a leader. What are the traits characteristics of a good leader? Similar to many other skills, leadership is something a person develops through learning, effort and experience. It takes more than just being persuasive and charismatic. As a leader, you have to be able to use the resources you have to achieve the best results for yourself and others.

The 10 leadership tactics

Effective leadership is a balancing act in that you must direct and inspire others while drawing on your own abilities and resourcefulness. Here we’ll look at 10 pathways to develop your leadership skills:

  1. Take on risks and challenges: Life isn’t meant to consist of the same old routines. In order to get the most out of your own abilities, you have to challenge yourself and test your abilities.

  2. Create a vision: You may have the spirit that all leaders require, but if you haven’t got an idea for what you want to achieve, you won’t accomplish much. It’s crucial to have a vision that will fuel what you do and what you seek to achieve.

  3.  Inspire others: Inspiration can occur in many different ways and spread in ways you might not be aware of. Doing your best just may be what it takes to inspire fellow classmates and establish yourself as a role model.

  4. Lead by example: What you expect of others, you have to also expect of yourself. If you’re not willing or able to do what needs to be done, your credibility as a leader won’t last long.

  5. Practice humility: Arrogance in anyone is distasteful. You can build trusting relationships with others and establish yourself as a leader by being practical and realistic; don’t constantly talk about yourself or embellish your accomplishments. Focus on boosting others and recognizing group successes.

  6. Communicate effectively: No matter what your goals are, being able to speak or write effectively will play a huge part in getting on the right path in academics, your career and life in general. You must be able to clearly express your ideas to others.

  7. Model fairness and integrity: A key component of any leader is expressing a sense of fairness; you should strive for integrity in anything you’re involved in.

  8. Take a public speaking class: Strong public speaking skills are beneficial to anyone, regardless of age, and effective leaders must be able to speak before a crowd.

  9. Attend leadership programs: Summits, symposiums and other activities can give you the latest insights into how our society views leadership today; they’ll also give you some ideas on ways to hone your skills.

  10. Volunteer: A leader has to be willing to step out of her comfort zone, take on new challenges, and have her horizons expanded. Volunteering can accomplish all those things. Getting involved in your local community can be a great way to develop your leadership skills, or if you’re interested in the adventure of a lifetime, you can get involved in a GLA volunteer trip abroad.

The big picture for tomorrow’s leaders

Being a leader means understanding it’s not all about you. It’s about having a clear vision of what you want to achieve and providing a direction for others. When everyone collaborates effectively, the result is an achievement that a single individual couldn’t accomplish. Yet it’s also about developing your own abilities and skills, challenging yourself and working to your optimum potential. By following the suggestions here, you’ll stride down the path toward growing as a person and begin embodying the characteristics of a great leader.

 

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5 Ways Rebuilding the World’s Natural Ecosystems can Impact Humanity

Rebuilding Our Ecosystems: The 5 Positives of Environmental Restoration

With the world’s population growing and energy demands surging, the natural world is ailing and, in certain cases, is at risk of being lost entirely. Scientists have established that our current environmental and economic policies are no longer sustainable for a healthy global society, and restoration efforts are under way to help prevent any further ecological damage. Rebuilding ecosystems not only have a positive effect on the environment and climate, but an economic impact as well. Workshops, activities and ecological volunteer programs are all playing a role in spreading awareness and getting people involved. Here we’ll discuss five key reasons restoring the world’s ecosystems is so crucial to environmental sustainability.

The 5 effects of rebuilding global ecologies

Being able to set new environmental standards is a crucial step in ensuring sustainability. Yet before devising such plans, knowing exactly what’s possible can illustrate how important our ecosystems are:

  • Environmental health: Current sustainability efforts are not just a way to help specific ecosystems that are disappearing, but for the health of the planet as a whole. Clean air and water are necessary for everyone and provide a foundation for longevity for all life on the planet.

  • Biodiversity: A central part of restoration efforts is maintaining ongoing biodiversity, conserving native plants and animals and reducing the chance of extinction.

  • Economic impact: Agriculture, manufacturing and science are just a few of the industries that rely on a healthy environment, and an environmentally friendly approach to economics is a win-win situation. Keeping one’s environmental impact as low as possible helps sustainability, but it also means lower energy costs, greater resource efficiency and a boost to the economy.

  • Combatting climate change: Weather patterns continue to turn more severe, but helping rebuild ecosystems can help in reducing climate change and counteracting greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating violent weather swings.

  • Social impact: In addition to sustaining the lives of endangered plants and animals, we shouldn’t forget one other group: us. Here we must take into account the larger social benefits on humans since ecology preservation helps maintain a healthy quality of life for local communities and societies around the world.

How to get involved

With environmental efforts spreading, being able to see the connection between our daily lives and natural ecosystems is important for more people to understand. This is an effort that everyone can get involved in and that can have greater benefits the more people get involved. Those willing to participate can make a difference in something that will provide a long-lasting benefit on environmental and economic levels. Many are working throughout the country to rebuild America’s ecosystems, but others are also working outside the U.S. to help underdeveloped communities become more sustainable. Volunteer abroad programs for high school students are an excellent way to make a difference, serve as a foundation for developing leadership skills and act as a means for finding a career path.

The scope of today’s environmental efforts goes far beyond just protecting or restoring unique ecosystems around the world. Volunteers from around the country are all working to make a difference so that both the ecology and the economy prosper and grow. It’s about boosting the health and quality of life for people in countries everywhere and for generations to come.

 

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