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Cape Town has been absolutely amazing! Every time I see Table Mountain, I am floored all over again. The sad part is that none of my pictures I show everyone at home will ever do it justice. Speaking of Table Mountain….that hike was the most intense thing I have done in a while! The feeling of accomplishment once I finally made it to the top was definitely well worth the pain of the hike. The view was breathtaking, and the Savannah Dry Cider I got at the top to celebrate my personal little victory wasn’t too bad either! Yesterday,…
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Molo! That’s “hello” in Xhosa. Apparently there are 11 official languages in South Africa, and Xhosa is one of them. It is Day 5 of my adventure to South Africa, and I just can’t get enough. I am learning so much about the beautiful and diverse area of Cape Town, and I am loving every second of it. The cars drive on the left here, there were eleven different racial classifications on pass cards during the apartheid (including “honorary white”), this is where the first open-heart surgery was performed, ETC! This is the most fascinating place. I’ve also learned that…
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“Watch the words that you speak, watch your attitude, watch your thoughts optimism is key, watch the company that you keep, and lastly watch your heart.” –Kevin Chaplin. Our guest speaker in class today was Kevin Chaplin he spoke about leadership and goal setting. Maybe sounds a little bit boring but he was so great! His energy, stories, and insight were derived from true passion and he was really inspiring. Currently, he helps run the Amy Biehl Foundation, which is an after school program across South Africa for the school children here, but was a successful business man in…
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Dancing. Everyone does it, right? Babies, kids, adults—everyone! Some probably shouldn’t, but everyone does. Dancing is one of those arts that everyone can appreciate. There are numerous styles: classical, traditional, modern, hip-hop, jazz…you name it. Most cultures have their own style of dance—and South Africa is no exception. Yesterday, upon our arrival at the Amy Biehl Center in the Gugulethu Township, the kids had some pretty special performances planned for our tour. After the obligatory introductions and a little background information about what the kids do every day in the afterschool center, we were led into a class room…
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On Wednesday, Kevin Chaplin from the Amy Biehl foundation came to speak to us during class. He came carrying a message that I believe all of us could learn from. It was a story of great forgiveness and love that is almost unbelievable. He told us about Amy Biehl, who was a young American girl who came to South Africa to devote her time to black children negatively affected by the discrimination of Apartheid. These children had parents and entire families that were never given the chance to be educated or even leave the townships. Amy strived to give the…
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Since walking down the stairs off of the South African airplane, my first couple of days here has been indescribable. Anticipating May 11 for almost 4 months, and now, I am finally in Cape Town, South Africa. I must be dreaming. I knew that this trip was going to be a life changing experience from what I had heard from previous Global Leaders, however, I didn’t think that I would already have a life changing experience within the first four days of being here. The minute “we are going to hike Table Mountain today” came out of the leaders mouths,…
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I think I have finally gotten adjusted to the 7 hours time difference, and the amazingly busy and fun schedule we’ve had the past 4 days! I wanted to start a blog for all of my family and friends to keep up with my trip if they are interested. The past 4 days have been a fast world wind! Each day we have been here we’ve started out with class from about 9-12 and then had a fun afternoon adventure. The first day we got to tour two of the most famous museums here in Cape Town; The oldest Slave…
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When I reached the top of Table Mountain I looked around and was in simply in awe. I have never seen something so beautiful before in my life. I thought I would have words to describe my feelings once I reached the end of my two hour hike but I was literally speechless. I was surround by beauty and could only try to hope that I was taking it all in. I did not want to miss a single moment. When I turned the corner, I reached a sign placed by the Global Lead staff that said, “it’s not just about the…
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A few of my favorite Cape Town things from the past 5 days: Table Mountain- Climbing Table Mountain was on my bucket list from day one. I have never hiked a mountain before and was determined to hike this one. The hike was a tough one, but SO worth it and more rewarding than you could imagine. It was like when people hike in the movies and get to the top of the mountain and all of a sudden the music starts playing, there’s a panorama of the scenery, and the person is in awe. That’s exactly how I…
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Tuesday was a great day! We went to class and had our first day of curriculum, and then we had a panel. The panel was made up of (I’m going to use South Africa terminology) a white man, a ‘malay’ man, a ‘colored’ female, and a black female. Everyone on the panel lived during the apartheid and they told us, very bluntly, about their life experiences. The three panelist of color were forced to leave their homes and move elsewhere during the apartheid because the government wanted their home, District 6, to be a white community. Hearing the panelist stories…
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Hey, my name is Richard Chou, and I’m a rising Junior at Wake Forest University. I’ve only been in South Africa for three short days, and what I’ve seen has just blown my mind. We’ve done so many things already, and there are still thousands more to do here in South Africa. Global Lead has been such an amazing program so far, and I literally cannot wait to see what they have in store for us “LEADers” in the coming weeks. One of the most incredible moments I’ve had so far in South Africa was going to one of…
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Today we have a post from Megan Peerman: Wow. I cannot believe that three days of the Global LEAD study abroad program have already gone by! Jerry, our city tour guide, was not kidding around when he said that “African time flies.” After two very long days of traveling this past weekend, I was ready to be in Cape Town and begin exploring. To my excitement, Monday was jam-packed with adventures. The day involved taking a city bus tour, visiting two historical museums, and driving up to the Signal Hill lookout that overlooked the entire city of Cape Town…
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Today we have a post from Paige Grissom: It seems like every night, when I lay down and reflect upon my day I decide without fail that it is my very favorite thus far. Every day has become the best, and every next day seems like it could never compare, but somehow it always still does. Today, hiking Table Mountain was no different, what we experienced was a once in a lifetime for most of us and I am so glad that I didn’t give into my fears and let this chance pass me by. The infamous hike…
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Today we have a post from Betts Irvine: You could look at what we did today in multiple ways – physical or mental. After a true bonding experience with our community group aka ‘thunderstormers’, cooking eggs and toast we headed to the lagoon house for class. (I don’t think its correct for me to call it class anymore- it is laid back but we learn so much and it is all something that interests me!) We were blessed to have Kevin Chaplin, CEO of the Amy Biehl foundation and the ‘Abuntu” foundation- he was quite an extraordinary man. Not…
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Today we have a post from Casey Ohman: What an incredible past three days! We began the trip with an amazing tour of Cape Town. Our tour guide, Jerry, has spent his whole life in Cape Town and gave us so much interesting information about the history of this beautiful city. Through strolling the streets we got to see some of the architecture of this city. I was in awe of how stunning the City Hall was. Our guide pointed out the balcony on City Hall that Nelson Mandela famously addressed the people from. The tour included museum visits…
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Today we have a post from Joseph Austin: My experience in South Africa has been eye opening so far. Coming into this program I pictured Cape Town as being a poverty stricken community. After our first tour through the city I quickly learned that although there is poverty, there is definitely a large population of wealthy residents, and a very large and active city. I also thought the District 6 museum was an incredible experience. The fact that humans can actually do that to other humans baffles me. Although I realize the fact that many of these whites who…
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The trip I have anxiously been awaiting has finally arrived! I am in the midst of my first week in Cape Town, South Africa, and I am already dreading the day that I have to leave. Before even coming on the trip, I had set goals for myself, goals to challenge my sense of adventure, to make new friendships, and to simply do things that I normally would not try. In our first community group meeting, we were asked to create a “bucket-list” of things that we hope to get out of the program. I certainly had no trouble making…
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We started out our first day in Cape Town with a delicious breakfast at the beach house. From there the whole group went through orientation, with Joanna and Carolyn answering all of our questions. If the orientation didn’t get us excited enough about our next five weeks in this amazing city, we divided into our three large groups and took a bus tour through Cape Town. Our tour guides told us of the history and culture of the city. We passed by many well-known areas while on the tour, including Camps Bay, which is more of the ritzier part of…
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I can’t believe it’s only the second day in Cape Town! We’ve already done so much! I think my favorite parts so far have been the drive up Signal Hill and dinner last night. Whenever we got to the top of Signal Hill, I was just in awe of the beauty. You have a 360° view of all of Cape Town—Table Mountain, Robben Island, the World Cup stadium, the ocean, the city; it’s all so breathtaking! Dinner last night was at a traditional African restaurant. The atmosphere was so exciting and fun! They painted our faces and played live music…
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From the moment I looked out the plane window descending into to Cape Town, I have not been able to stop obsessing over this phenomenal landscape. Not to mention, the weather has just been absolutely perfect! The staff has already planned two great days, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for the weeks to come. I have already experienced so much, with the city tour yesterday, and the cultural panel today, but I would have to say, this afternoon provided the most heart warming and eye opening experience I have had to this day!! Today, a group of six girls, including…
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It happened in a flash. No time to react. Everything changed. Just. Like. That. She never asked. She didn’t care to. Two words, simply mumbled. TURN AROUND. How could I forget? As white paint dripped over my eyelashes, the words of Shakira’s “This Is Africa” became all too much of a reality. I turned around to meet the white tip of a brush intent on covering my face with an exotic African design. Normally I would say I am vehemently opposed to face-painting, but I think this painting might have been necessary. I realized during this experience that it…
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There is no other way I would have rather spent my first two days in Capetown. Learning about the interesting history and driving through the mountainous terrain while viewing the city and ocean from different angles. At first I was being the normal tourist, you know the typical picture taking every minute trying to capture every view so I would never forget. I should have just worn one of the blow up tourist outfits found at the Party City. Anyways, when we were on top of the Signal Hill overlooking the city and the ocean I put my camera down…
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Today we had the most incredible opportunity in Cape Town… I have a feeling that phrase is going to show up alot on this blog and throughout the trip. Yesterday we took a tour of the city and visited the District 6 museum, a place I knew nothing about before I walked into it. I’m sure people have already written about it, but to summarize briefly, District 6 is a part of Cape Town where during the apartheid, all non-whites were forcibly removed from their houses to another area of the city. Today during class, we had a “Diversity Panel”…
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Greetings from Cape Town! We are so excited for our 2012 programs to get started. Joanna has been here for the past 2 weeks making all of the final preparations; Alyson, Branden and I joined on Wednesday and we will welcome our first group of students tomorrow evening. Before we get off and running, I wanted to introduce you to our teams on the ground in all 3 locations. We’ve got a phenomenal crew between Global LEAD staff and UGA professors and teaching assistants. In partnership with our vendors in country, we are ready to deliver unforgettable experiences to…
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Hear from Amerika Columbo who joined us on LEAD Greece 2011 about her experience serving the refugee community. There were a lot of emotions going through the group today; excitement for being able to help others in need, anxiety for encountering the unknown and a foreign culture, and hope that we could bring some kind of relief to these refugees. I felt kind of like I was on some kind of secret mission. We didn’t know where we were going, we couldn’t know the name of the place we were going, and we have to keep it a secret to protect the community there. …
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Paige Biringer at UT passes along her words of wisdom to 2012 students: My advice goes out to those students who are embarking on this Global LEAD trip not knowing a single soul. First of all- don’t fret; it’s not as frightening as you imagine. Leave all your worries of not making friends, feeling awkward, and not having fun at home. You may feel like it is awkward not knowing everyone you’re with or the person sitting next to you on the plane ride but trust me you’re not the only one with those feelings. There are tons of…
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Alden came with us to Cape Town last summer. Check out this Ole Miss student’s advice to 2012 LEADers! Advice from Alden I am SO jealous that you all are going to be experiencing the best summer of your life as I am slaving away on schoolwork in the boring United States. Let me fill you in on some essentials you’ll want to pack… Rain jacket: this will come in handy even if it’s not raining. I know it will be winter there but it really never gets too cold. Cute clothes (girls): you WILL be…
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LEAD Greece: Introducing George! Among the dozens of things you will grow to love about Greece, George is among the top! He welcomes us in Crete with open arms and his signature smile that spans ear to ear! Just to give a little insight, I’ve posted my blog from our arrival in Crete last year…enjoy! I woke up to an abrupt opening of the cabin door and a wake-up call in a thick Greek accent, “Wake up! It’s 7 am!” As I stretched in my bed, just barely enough room to span my arms in our cabin, I…
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It’s a beautiful day in Santorini, Greece and the sun beats down on me as I’m surrounded by towels and giggles. My friends around me are all stripped down to their bathing suits and they are helping me stay covered up as I change into my own suit down by the rocks and a bay. Needless to say, this lack of appropriate changing facilities was not what we had planned. This unexpected change in itinerary came about when Lauren, Sydney, Siobhan, Courtney, Annie, Brittany and I decided to take our day off in Greece and visit Ias—the most beautiful…
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It hit me this morning. I was packing up my backpack for class and caught a glimpse of my graduation cap reflected in the mirror behind me. The realization. The fact that I’m graduating from UGA in 3 weeks wasn’t scary or sad – it was almost surprising. I’ve known this moment has been approaching for 4 years, yet I’m still surprised how quickly time flies by. How often does that happen? We look forward to things, get excited for things, dread things and then all of a sudden, it’s over. Just like that, the future is the…
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Itching to take a road trip this summer? Here are some local loves that I found along the way (that correlate with Global LEAD’s nine values!). Enjoy: Stewardship: Taking the journey from point A to point B (in this case a southeast to southwest road trip across the USA!) Excellence: Eating Moe’s Barbeque in Birmingham, AL Innovation: Exploring Fair Folks and a Goat in New Orleans, LA Passion: Listening to live music anywhere along 6th street in Austin, TX (if you go in October check out Austin City Limits and in March, SXSW) Trust: Peering…
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By nature, I am a planner. I make detailed to-do lists, live by a schedule, and abide by the Boy Scout motto “Be prepared.” Impulse and spontaneity are not a part of my make-up. In July of 2010, having recently returned from my trip to Cape Town with Global LEAD, I was propositioned with a spontaneous idea that was well beyond my inner-planner’s comfort zone. My child best friend, a marine, informed me that he was taking 8 days of leave, in which time he wanted to drive to his grandparent’s lake house in CANADA. I asked the obvious question “When?” — To which…
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Why? There’s something magical about it. No really, I mean magical in the truest sense. Have you ever watched a magician who can shock and surprise you, suddenly bringing out emotions that you weren’t aware were even there? This is the same. This will dig deeply into that seemingly endless and unorganized filing cabinet that is your memory and pull out visuals, smells, sights, and sounds that you didn’t even know were still stored in all that gray matter. This will pull on your heartstrings and jerk tears from your eyes faster than any well-written set of words or slideshow…
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I’m a big believer in learning. My father was an educator therefore it was ingrained very early on that academics are extremely important. And for years, I invested all my time in learning everything I could from the textbooks and classroom lessons I was given. I was living, but not really experiencing! But in this past year, I got my wakeup call. Some of the most important lessons in the last 12 months have been learned on spontaneous whims outside of the classroom; whether it was hiking it to the top of a massive mountain– or spending days with…
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Participants in new programs, like LEAD Ecuador, play a huge role in the foundation of our service-learning in that country. The relationships we begin this summer will will continue to build for years to come and serve as the basis for our impact in the community abroad. Global LEAD is going to have the amazing opportunity to partner with a local school to provide English classes and afterschool empowerment projects in an impoverished community in Quito. The school is eager for assistance, however, lacking in resources. Each day we will have an ESL curriculum that our students will use…
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So, the trip is booked. You know at least what box among the seven you have stacked under your bed, behind your snowshoes you bought on a whim, holds your passport. Your mom’s aunt’s next-door neighbor went there nine years ago and has given you a list of places to visit, stop by, or ask someone about. You’ve bought, or glanced at travel books on your destination in your school’s overpriced bookstore. Maybe you even googled one of those counter things and you can tell anyone at any given minute the seconds until you’re en route abroad. Or, if…
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To my new Global LEAD family—you’re about to embark on the best trip of your life so I figured I would let you know some of the favorite things I did while I was in Cape Town. So here we go, presenting Top 10 things to do before you leave Cape Town: 1) Bungee Jump. Bungee Jump. Bungee Jump. If you do not do this you will be missing out on the most insane experience of your life and I mean, it’d be pretty baller to come back and say that you jumped off the TALLEST bridge in…
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Our time in Santorini is epic: incredible sunsets, donkey rides, hot springs and black sand beaches. With one of their free days, Maria and Shannon went on a vineyard tour of the island. Check out their recap below! Cultural Vineyard Tour Today we visited three different wineries in Santorini, Greece. The first winery was actually a wine museum and they had a cellar-like tunnel that we got to go in, to see how wine was produced years ago. It took them 21 years to make the museum. After walking through the cellar, we got to try three of their…
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I have always loved to travel, and I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to visit some of the most fascinating, beautiful, and culturally rich countries and cities in the world. While each location is different and holds unique appeal, there are certain tips and tools of the trade that will help any budding or seasoned world traveller get the most out of their time in the great unknown… 1. Immerse yourself completely in the culture Eat the traditional cuisine, enjoy local music- Its okay to be a tourist, but DON’T be a bystander to…
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Hello all upcoming Global LEADers, Your time is quickly approaching and I hope you are all so excited! I know many of you are constantly fantasizing the trip as well as coming up with endless questions. I was in your shoes just one year ago. Of course after thinking about whether the trip would transform me, the topic that consumed most of my thoughts was what to pack. I was wondering how I would pack my life essentials for five weeks abroad on a once in a lifetime experience in just two, fifty-pound suitcases. So this is for…
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Annie Saucier came with us to Greece last summer. She learned about herself as a leader and also discovered her hidden poetic talent! Take a look at her rhyming reflections on the last day. A Rhyme of Remembrance By Annie Saucier LEAD Greece 2011 LSU Student As we are moving towards the final day, It feels like only yesterday was the fifteenth of May. Having expectations of what we would see, We created an image of how Greece would be. In Glyfada, we formed an appetite for gyros, Then washed it down with a refreshing Mythos….
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You can recognize that smile and long, blonde hair from a mile away. Kylie Droke has been our LEAD Local Intern at UGA for the 2011-2012 school year. She has taken the idea from concept to reality by planning events like “Serving Those Who Serve” on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, the festive Holiday Party at Drew Charter School and the Valentine’s Day gathering to make and deliver cards to the residents of Morningside Assisted Living. Starting in May, Kylie will have a new role supporting our domestic marketing efforts throughout the summer. She’ll be working with Carolyn as…
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In less than two months, we will be taking off for our Grecian adventure! Hear from Alexa and Jillian about their thoughts shortly after arriving in paradise last summer. Greetings from Greece! Today we were separated into two separate groups for the day’s activities…while one group was leisurely enjoying a 3-Island Day Cruise, Allie, Ashley, Bailey, Erin B., Erin T., Alexa, Jillian, Alex, DeAnna, Margot, McKenzi, Halleigh, Ansley, Ellie, Maria, Channing, Morgan, Annie, Amerika, Sarah Grace, Brian and Beth Ann, were sweating bullets thinking about their day’s itinerary. With that, we will now provide you with our Top…
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Dear Future Global LEADers of 2012, Can you believe that your adventure to Cape Town, South Africa is about to begin?! In just about 2 months, you will leave American soil, cross a really big pond, arrive in a foreign land, and step into an experience of a lifetime. If you’re anything like me before I boarded the plane, part of you is leaping with excitement and the other part is combating nervousness—“I can’t wait to swim with sharks…but WHAT in the world am I supposed to pack…what do you mean I shouldn’t bring my American hairdryer?!” Whether I…
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Traveling is perhaps one of the most rewarding and incredible activities that young people can take part in. I have been lucky enough in my life to have travelled to lots of amazing places all over the world, which has made being a global citizen such an important goal of mine. A huge part of being a global citizen is truly absorbing all of the culture that defines the place you are in, so here are a few tips for those people who are interested in travel and especially those thinking about heading to my favorite city in the world,…
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Maddie Rowlett came abroad with Global LEAD to Cape Town last year. She captured some incredible shots and entered the University of Tennessee Study Abroad Photo Contest. Whether you are an aspiring professional photographer or a whiz with the point’n’shoot, you’ll get some memorable shots abroad. Hear from Maddie here! The UTK Study Abroad Photo Contest allowed students to submit 2 photos that represented his or her time abroad. The 2 categories for photos were Study Abroad Landscape and Study Abroad with a UT student in the picture. This photo was taken on my hike up Lion’s Head…
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Global LEAD is excited to announce the winners of our 2012 Foundation Fellow Scholarships! We were overwhelmed with the passion that came across on the applications for these $2000 awards. Foundation Fellows are the first students from their school to attend a Global LEAD experience as we are excited to welcome them to the Global LEAD family and to grow our network of young, ambitious individuals from all over the US. We award more than $50,000 in scholarships to deserving students attending a Global LEAD program because we truly believe in the power of international experiences and understand the…
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We are 2 months and 2 weeks away from our the start date for LEAD Greece 2012. I cannot wait to be on the ground and meet our students for this summer. In the meantime, hear about our time in Crete last year from University of Tennessee student Sioban Heichemer! A Little Southern Hospitality…Grecian Style By Sioban Heichemer Being thousands of miles from home for five weeks, in a foreign country with people you’ve just met are conditions that will make anyone homesick…even if some of us will not admit it. Since coming to Greece I think we…
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Monica Tookes is a local artist in Atlanta who is using her gifts to make a difference in the community and raise money and awareness for Global LEAD. After hearing the Global LEAD story, Monica decided to take action and get involved. A few weeks later we received an email about her big idea—One Hundred for 100—100 Days, 100 Paintings, 100 Lives! Every day between December 1 and March 9, Monica is creating a unique painting that will be sold for $100 (very discounted for an artist of her caliber). From the money collected, she will be donating a…
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Global LEAD Ecuador Intern Trey Sinyard is a man of many interests and passions. In addition to traveling, studying medicine and creating positive press at UGA, he is also involved in Athens PB&Js. Global LEAD will be sponsoring two weeks’ worth of sandwiches and volunteering at a Sunday event in April. Read more to learn about Trey and Athens PB&J! Athens PB&Js by Trey Sinyard Athens PBJs is without a doubt the greatest name for one of the greatest non-profits I’ve ever been a part of. The purpose of the group is to cultivate relationships between college students…
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2012 Student Blogs
Adventure
Cape Town
Ecuador
Education
Get to know us
Greece
Leadership
Reflections
Service
Tips
Travel
