The Young Leader

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The Facebook Group that will Make your Summer

Busted…we’re biased. We think Global Leadership Adventures is the single greatest way a high school student can spend their summer break. But you know who else thinks so? The students who’ve  participated in our programs.

Join a GLA Country Facebook group now and get a fresh, unbiased perspective.  Hundreds of student alumni are sharing their experiences and are waiting to answer your questions.

There’s no better way to get the straight story. Talk directly with participants to find out:

  • Was the food good? What if I’m vegan?

  • How many guys are on the programs?

  • Were you able to fundraise for your tuition?

  • Which destination is better for learning Spanish – Costa Rica or Guatemala?

  • How were the counselors?

Several programs have their own GLA Facebook group, and we invite you to crash them all:

This simple move could set you up for the summer of your life…happy chatting!

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3 Myths: College Applications

Having interviewed candidates for Yale, my alma mater, I’m often asked by parents and students how Global Leadership Adventures can enhance a college application.  My standard response is to quote the Yale website: “Yalies set out to make our world better…We are looking for students…to become the leaders of their generation in whatever they wish to pursue.”

Great, but what in the world does that mean?!  How do high school students become leaders and make the world better?  Every year, parents and students misinterpret what colleges are looking for and invest time and energy into misguided pursuits.

While I don’t claim to know everything that happens in the admissions office, I’d like to dispel what I believe are three myths about college applications and summer programs.

Myth 1: Volunteering abroad helps you get into a good college

Simply volunteering abroad will not help you get into a good college.  Rather, it’s what you learn that can make a difference.  On a GLA program, you will volunteer in a developing country and experience a culture and lifestyle very different from your own in an authentic, non-touristy community.   In that environment, GLA teaches you to reflect on your experience:  How is this country different from yours?  How can you connect your knowledge and talents to those in need?  Where can your passion lead you?  This level of experience and reflection helps you unlock your passions and generate plenty of talking points for college essays.  That’s what colleges look for in a successful applicant.

Myth 2: Colleges define “leadership” as Student Council President, School Paper Editor, etc.

True, leadership is a key characteristic of the strongest applicants to top universities.  But it’s not just about accumulating a laundry list of titles.  It’s also about your level of maturity, the types of challenges you’ve faced, and a sustained commitment to helping others.  GLA believes leaders are made, not born.  Through group discussion, meaningful service, workshops, exposure to experts, and excursions, GLA students cultivate their leadership potential.  They  tackle tough questions, learn to welcome differing opinions, and  begin affecting change within themselves their communities, and the world.  That’s how colleges define leadership.

Myth 3: A so-so GPA or less-than-stellar SAT score will prevent you from getting into a good university.

Got some bad grades freshman year? Your GPA not quite where you want it to be?  Don’t worry, all hope is not lost!  There’s still time to turn things around.  Colleges absolutely do look at academic achievement.  However, they also want to see passion and a common thread that weaves throughout your application.  My college roommate at Yale had a so-so GPA, but was admitted for his non-academic achievements.

Do you like biology and animals?  Pursue that passion during the summer, whether it’s volunteering abroad to protect endangered species, starting an animal rights organization at school, or taking an advanced biology class at a local college.  That’s a concrete step towards turning it around.

I hope you found these insights useful and I welcome your feedback, anytime!

Sincerely, Mike Shangkuan

Managing Director – Global Leadership Adventures

About the author:  Mike Shangkuan graduated from Yale with a BA in Economics and received his MBA from the Harvard Business School.  He is currently Managing Director of Global Leadership Adventures.

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School vs. Learning

Jack London sailed to Japan; Walt Disney spent a year driving ambulances in France; Abraham Lincoln and Steve Jobs built their careers one step at a time.  What do all of these highly successful people share in common?  They all benefited from non-traditional educational experiences.  (And we all benefited as a result!)

For some young people, significant learning happens outside of the classroom because, well, it has to (finances, timing, etc.). For others, it’s a choice.  Regardless, that sense of adventure and in-the-field “doing” breeds exceptional leadership and gives college-bound students a competitive edge. It isn’t always clear how to get the kind of experience you and your child seeking, but rest assured no one has to pick up scurvy on a schooner like Jack London!  Allow us to share 3 excellent ways within your reach:

1. Tune in to international news.

The Internet puts news from all over the world at your fingertips instantly.   Bookmarking international news sources keeps you and your son or daughter informed of what’s happening politically and culturally in other countries. It’s important to be informed of our role in the world and an asset to be able to demonstrate that level of global awareness to others. (Colleges, employers, future spouse.)

2. Live a new language.

That’s right…live a new language. Cramming the night before a Spanish vocab test may earn a high school student an “A,” but how much of the language and culture they’ve truly absorbed will become apparent soon enough.  Explore restaurants and businesses in your community where your teen’s language of choice is spoken. Encourage them to participate in a language immersion trip.  Experiencing a language through the lenses of culture, history and human interaction will lead to real mastery.

3. Get going, globally.

Your community is a great place to find volunteer opportunities, and your son or daughter’s school is a natural place to start.  But for them to achieve a truly unforgettable service experience, think bigger.  Participating in a service program abroad will introduce your child to new people, help them build a set of invaluable new skills, and allow them to make a difference in the lives of others far away. Their school and community will benefit upon their return.

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3 Myths: College Applications & Summer Programs

Having interviewed candidates for Yale, my alma mater, I’m often asked by parents and students how Global Leadership Adventures can enhance a college application.  My standard response is to quote the Yale website: “Yalies set out to make our world better…We are looking for students…to become the leaders of their generation in whatever they wish to pursue.”

Great, but what in the world does that mean?!  How do high school students become leaders and make the world better?  Every year, parents and students misinterpret what colleges are looking for and invest time and energy into misguided pursuits.

While I don’t claim to know everything that happens in the admissions office, I’d like to dispel what I believe are three myths about college applications and summer programs.

Myth 1: Volunteering abroad helps you get into a good college

Simply volunteering abroad will not help you get into a good college.  Rather, it’s what you learn that can make a difference.  On a GLA program, you will volunteer in a developing country and experience a culture and lifestyle very different from your own in an authentic, non-touristy community.   In that environment, GLA teaches you to reflect on your experience:  How is this country different from yours?  How can you connect your knowledge and talents to those in need?  Where can your passion lead you?  This level of experience and reflection helps you unlock your passions and generate plenty of talking points for college essays.  That’s what colleges look for in a successful applicant.

Myth 2: Colleges define “leadership” as Student Council President, School Paper Editor, etc.

True, leadership is a key characteristic of the strongest applicants to top universities.  But it’s not just about accumulating a laundry list of titles.  It’s also about your level of maturity, the types of challenges you’ve faced, and a sustained commitment to helping others.  GLA believes leaders are made, not born.  Through group discussion, meaningful service, workshops, exposure to experts, and excursions, GLA students cultivate their leadership potential.  They  tackle tough questions, learn to welcome differing opinions, and  begin affecting change within themselves their communities, and the world.  That’s how colleges define leadership.

Myth 3: A so-so GPA or less-than-stellar SAT score will prevent you from getting into a good university.

Got some bad grades freshman year? Your GPA not quite where you want it to be?  Don’t worry, all hope is not lost!  There’s still time to turn things around.  Colleges absolutely do look at academic achievement.  However, they also want to see passion and a common thread that weaves throughout your application.  My college roommate at Yale had a so-so GPA, but was admitted for his non-academic achievements.

Do you like biology and animals?  Pursue that passion during the summer, whether it’s volunteering abroad to protect endangered species, starting an animal rights organization at school, or taking an advanced biology class at a local college.  That’s a concrete step towards turning it around.

I hope you found these insights useful and I welcome your feedback, anytime!

Sincerely, Mike Shangkuan

Managing Director – Global Leadership Adventures

About the author:  Mike Shangkuan graduated from Yale with a BA in Economics and received his MBA from the Harvard Business School.  He is currently Managing Director of Global Leadership Adventures.

 

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10 Quick Tricks for Preventing Homesickness!

Spending a summer overseas can be one of the most fulfilling, rewarding experiences of your life. But it can be tough to get used to being away from home. All the things that make travel worthwhile – the new perspective you gain on the world and the unfamiliar cultures you’ll experience – can also be some of the most challenging aspects of travel.

You’ll be sleeping in a different bed, hearing a different language spoken and getting to know people you’ve never met. That’s a lot to take in at once! But overcoming homesickness is completely doable. Here are a few tips.

1. Get out there

Crowds in a foreign subway station? You can handle it! When you find a situation that makes you uncomfortable, take the time to overexpose yourself to it until you’re more relaxed there. By getting out of your comfort zone immediately, you’ll find that the transition is much easier to make.

2. Eat what the locals eat

Trying new things is just another way to immerse yourself in a new culture. The traditions surrounding a meal tell you a lot about local life. Figuring out what you like and where to find it will make your stay in a foreign country much more comfortable.

3. Use social media

Take advantage of Facebook, Twitter and other social networks to stay in touch with your friends back home. Even if you don’t have an international cell phone plan, you can use the Internet just about anywhere you are to stay connected to friends and family.

4. Plan for emergencies

By knowing where you are, how to contact others with whom you are traveling and how to ask for help in your volunteer abroad situation, you’ll feel in control of your situation and ready to handle whatever comes up.

5. Have safe lodging 

Our homebase lodging allows you to stay with other students so you can stay in a home-away-from-home environment which is comfortable, safe, and secure, and brings a sense of community to your group.

6. Get into a routine

It’ll help you feel in control of the situation and make you feel like you’re living a normal life, rather than just floating around the world on a whim.

7. Look for gifts for friends

You’ll feel more connected with them. And they’ll thank you for it! Even a trinket from a foreign country can mean the world to a friend back home.

8. Take time to be a tourist

Go see everything there is to see when you have time — you can hit the tourist highlights as well as the local ones.

9. Exercise regularly

When you’re active and moving around, you feel better about yourself and the world around you. The same is true when you’re studying abroad.

10. Find your hobbies

Chances are good you can find your hobbies and expand on them while you travel!

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