The Young Leader

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The Local Traveler: Aquarium of the Magnificent

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I’ve lived in California all my life, and I’ll say it is an uplifting place that will have a person smiling by the end of their time spent there. There are tons of places in California that can have a newcomer excited, just as there are many pleasures to be found by locals who’ve lived their entire lives there.

Most people would look at the larger monuments as a special adventure worthy of their attention; however, my time at the Aquarium of Pacific in Long Beach, California was the most exciting time I’ve ever spent in my life. If you enjoy learning new things, love sea animals, and just want to have an amazing experience with wonderful people, then I would definitely recommend this incredible aquarium as a must-see if you’re in the area. Many locals never even make their way down!

I went on a Saturday afternoon, and the workers were very polite and I was given a manual about the activities and a handbook with facts about each and every animal that lives there in one of the tanks.

Then, as I was walking to each tank and the guide was explaining about the animal inside, other visitors began to engage in a conversation with me about the animal, opening up the learning experience from the pages of a manual, to the excitement of genuine mutual interest and interaction. We began to share the knowledge of what we were learning and how we can discover more. How cool is that?!

Another exciting part of the experience is being able to see divers go on a swim with the animals. You can watch them with whales and even sharks. I was so excited and scared to see the divers with the sharks, as we all know just how ‘friendly’ they seem to outsiders. I was hooked because seeing the animals and humans interact with one another was amazing.

After a couple of hours, I went off to look for then number one thing that everyone person has to do while having a very long day, and that is eating. The food that surrounds the aquarium is delicious. You can get burgers, hot dogs, nachos, pizza, pasta, or something healthy if that’s your style. Just as long as you don’t eat the fish!

Contributed by Tyler Dickerson

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4 International Travel Tips for Young Adventurers

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I was 12 the first time I traveled abroad to visit my uncle in South Africa. During my two-month stay, I swam in the Indian Ocean, experienced an exciting new culture first-hand, learned Afrikaans (one of the native languages), met so many amazing people, and even had my 13th birthday in the wilds of Africa, with lions roaring in the distance and hyenas eying my campfire-fried cake. It was incredible! But it was also terrifying, at times.

It’s no small thing, traveling to another country, but it’s even more complicated when you’re young and doing it for the first time. There’s tons to prepare for and consider, from getting your passport and packing appropriately to dealing with language barriers and embracing cultural differences. Your parents can help you, but here’s some advice, one international adventurer to another, that you will definitely want to keep in mind.

1. Take Packing Seriously but Not Too Seriously

Packing is important, but forgetting something isn’t the end of the world. The truth is you can usually buy what you need at most places you visit, or borrow from a friend. The only exceptions are things like medications, glasses, and other items specifically prescribed to you. While you certainly don’t want to forget anything, fixating on the possibility of leaving something behind can cause undue stress and anxiety and ultimately detract from your overall experience. Don’t get so wrapped up worrying about your luggage that it overshadows your excitement for travel.

2. Be Ready for Seasonal Differences

My trip took place in May while the weather here in the United States was beautiful, but the nights in South Africa were freezing. Luckily, I checked before I traveled and knew to take some warmer clothes. I literally wore my Under Armour Cold Gear every evening and most mornings I was outside. It can be tempting to bring all your favorite clothes to show off during your trip, but you’ll have a lot more fun if you dress according to the weather.

3. Beware of Culture Shock

I had absolutely no idea what culture shock was. It wasn’t until years after my trip that I realized I had suffered from it. Culture shock is basically when someone struggles to adapt to new cultural surroundings. For me, it resulted in homesickness, but it can also cause anxiety and other unpleasant emotions that can detract from your trip. Just knowing about culture shock, however, can help prevent it. If you go in expecting cultural differences, you’re less likely to get homesick and more likely to enjoy your travels.

4. Journal about Everything

I actually had to journal about my trip for school, but I can’t tell you how glad I am that I did. In the moment, it may seem like you could never forget about all the amazing things you’re doing and seeing but, take it from someone who knows, those impressions can fade overtime. You don’t have to start journaling full-time, but writing your travel adventures down will help keep the memories alive, especially when it comes to remembering how the experience made you feel. It’s well worth getting those thoughts and emotions on paper so you can revisit them again and again.

I learned a lot during my two months in South Africa but, most importantly, I found out there’s no better way to discover the world than to dive in and see it up close. Sure, it might be intimidating, but the experience is one you’ll never forget.

Contributed by Amanda Vosloh Bowyer

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Young Entrepreneurs: Start a Business in High School

Have you ever wondered how high school dreamers became successful entrepreneurs?

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Welcome fellow teen startup wizard! In this post, we’ll discover how high school students create successful businesses.

Within an earlier post, we offered some practical ideas and provided inspiration for you to get started. We’ll now turn to a more interesting topic: how did high school entrepreneurs succeed after they decided to get started?

For some teens, such as Oliver Oglesby, they become successful soon after having a transformational experience. But for most high school startups and teen innovators, success comes much later in life. Why is that?

Here’s the honest answer: most of us end up failing multiple times. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with failing. Seriously, failures are good. Failing means that you were bold, jumped out of your comfort zone, and took a risk worth taking.

What sets you apart as an entrepreneur is not whether you succeed; actually, what matters is your resilience and how many times you’re willing to fail and learn.

Many high school students also have to deal with real social and economic barriers. This certainly was the case for Reetu Gupta, entrepreneur and founder of Cirkled in, which seeks to “Capture and compile kids’ and students’ school life achievements.” When reflecting on her experiences as a female teen while in India, Reetu has this to share: “I don’t have any brothers and India is still a very male-dominated society. When I was growing up, it was really bad…It used to boil my blood. I was very frustrated.'” (source)

Some of you might feel like Reetu right now and have to deal with circumstances outside of your control. That’s OK. Hopefully, you’ll get your chance soon. Another useful quote from Reetu expresses this difficult reality of startups: “One thing I will say is know what you are getting into. Entrepreneurship is very glamorized. You hear about 20-year-old billionaires, you hear about success stories…You do not hear all the failures of the startups that did not go anywhere, didn’t get any funding and died.” (source)

Although you might find this last quote discouraging, you can also see it as liberating. You now have the freedom to experiment, play around, and learn from your mistakes—without any repercussions. By all means, take advantage of your limited opportunity to get your hands dirty with many ventures. You can also seek out advice ahead of time.

Here’s an example. One eager high school student fascinated with tech startups posed this question on Quora:

“What advice do you have for high school students interested in startups and entrepreneurship?”

Some potentially useful tips include start building stuff, be flexible with yourself, and this last quote:

“Start super small. Don’t try and build a million-dollar company. Try to build something small that you are interested in and start selling a few. Grow organically and enjoy all the lessons along the way.” (Jake Plunkett)

Building off of this advice, we can review a case study of the Hawken School’s high school entrepreneurial class.

The teens who participated made plenty of mistakes and received valuable feedback. Here’s what was learned:

  • Students work harder, better and deeper when the stakes are real
  • Working for local startups creates real world intensity and urgency in the course
  • [Teens] freak out, get paralyzed and waste time doing so. It’s all part of the learning process

As an aspiring young entrepreneur, you have plenty of time to play around. Enjoy your journey however long it takes.

Which teen startups and entrepreneurs inspire you? We’d enjoy hearing what your passions are!

Contributed by Nick Fochtman

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What are the Best Summer Teen Tours?

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Travel for teens isn’t always easy to plan. With spring break approaching and the lazy days of summer beginning to get into focus, you are probably already imagining your days filled with waking up past 7 am, going to the beach, or working a bit with that cute boy or girl you have a crush on to score a relationship and some much needed cash.

But when the thought of just another summer hanging around town doesn’t excite you too much, here are 4 options for a teen tour you might want to take that will not only wake up the adventurer in you but might be a nice boost to your college resume as well.

Thrill Coasters:

Are you an adrenaline junkie? Does the idea of traveling around North America and going to theme parks all day everyday make you want to jump off your coach right now? Then if so, Thrill Coasters is the tour for you. With this year’s tours hitting the American South in July and parts of the Northeast, Ohio, and Canada in August, there will be plenty of opportunities to ride your favorite coasters again and again without a nagging parent who says once is enough.

American Trails West (ATW):

With a company that has been around for over 50 years, you can assume that by now ATW is a well-oiled machine when it comes to curating trips to challenge the soul and excite the mind in the American West (and Canada, Hawaii, Alaska and Europe). With 9 tours running over a series of 2-5 weeks, there are bound to be plenty of options to hit that spot you have always dreamed of be it hiking Yellowstone National Park, at an authentic luau in Hawaii, or discovering the history and culture of Western Europe.

Summer Discovery:

If the idea of discovering your career passions or getting a head start on college sounds like more of your thing, then the Summer Discovery program might just be the right place for you. With programs from coast to coast and with a few options in between, having the chance to learn from top professors in your field of interest at Penn, Johns Hopkins, Michigan and UCLA, to name just a few schools, will not only make you super prepared to take on that tough AP class you signed up for in September but will give you a glimpse of what college life is like for when you attend. But don’t think that taking a Summer Discovery course means that it is all work and no play, you will get a chance to enjoy the local culture, food and sports teams of wherever you are staying with your newfound classmates and friends for a summer you will never forget.

Global Leadership Adventures (GLA):

If combining a bit of world travel, a pinch of international culture and a touch of volunteering looks more like your ideal summer then GLA summer teen tours are the perfect match. The range of possibilities on a GLA tour are endless as you could be spending your summer helping to conserve Thai elephants or volunteering with Mayan children in Guatemala by day and taking in archaeological ruins in the afternoon . With programs ranging around the world from 10 to 21 days, you have the opportunity if you want to double up on programs and spend time in two completely different places all in one summer. No matter where you go on a GLA program, you will have a lot of food for thought to chew on once you get back to your hometown.

A teen travel tour doesn’t have to be your only option this summer, but it can certainly fit into your schedule and give you a break from the summer monotony!

Contributed by Matt Zonis

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