Heavy geopolitical lifting continues to this day, though the people and governments of each country face specific challenges based on their levels of political and social change. While Egypt wrestles with the fallout after overthrowing Hosni Mubarak’s regime, Syrians continue to fight President Bashar al-Assad’s brutal government to create a more democratic country.
 
After ten months of protests and uprisings of the Syrian people, the deadly clashes between the government and opposition forces are escalating as casualty estimates range from 5,000 to 7,000 people. The humanitarian crisis, much like that of Libya last year, is reaching a crescendo and yet the world continues to sit idly by as innocent Syrian civilians are brutalized every day. Though the Arab League has formally denounced the actions of President Bashar al-Assad, the U.N. Security Council has recently failed to reach an agreement regarding the dissolution of al-Assad’s regime – failed because Russia and China vetoed the measure. US Ambassador Susan Rice condemned the vetoes as “shameful” and said that “any further bloodshed that flows will be on their hands.” With each passing day the violence is growing and the humanitarian crisis becomes more serious.
 
It’s all too easy to myopically focus on ourselves and the first world problems we face on a daily basis. Though loosely aware of current events, their distance and vast nature make them challenging to understand and seemingly impossible to make a difference.
 
But, for one second think about if you lived in Syria? What if your government was persecuting you and your family? Would you expect the world to care?

My Global LEAD Journey

 
When my Global LEAD journey first began with the pilot program in May of 2009, I had every intention of attending graduate school to become a medical professional. At the time, I had my life completely planned out. It occurred to me on the side of Table Mountain, as I stopped for a moment to take in the crowd around me, of students from varying backgrounds with different perspectives and goals, that I was called to devote my life to university students and leadership.
 
This notion was only further solidified by my side-conversations with Vince and Barbara Dooly and Betty Siegel, whom I consider to be excellent role models in this field. My career decision began in Cape Town because I was inspired by the experience, the cultural diversity, and by my exposure to various leaders – it tied together all of my previous involvement and interests. Each day made me challenge myself, think outside of my traditional “box”, and open my mind to the present.
 
The 2009 Cape Town trip is responsible for enhancing my global view, my perception of myself, and my overall life-plan. Since the end of that trip, I have devoted my time to learning, gaining diverse leadership experiences, and challenging myself to become a successful university affairs practitioner. Currently, I’m in my last semester of graduate work at Vanderbilt University studying Higher Education Administration. I will complete my degree in May and will begin work as a professional practitioner in the field of Student Affairs or Higher Education, hopefully working in the realm of the Dean of Students and Activities or in University Athletics.

Elizabeth Gaughf

Vanderbilt University ’12

M.Ed Higher Education Administration Candidate

Graduate Assistant – Dean of Students

Practicum Student – Vanderbilt Compliance

Greek for Good

Some talk about an intangible “moment of clarity” or that “Ah ha!” moment, but I never really bought all that.

As a naïve college freshman, I was lost somewhere between my high school self and the vast abyss of Life. I saw Life as a big, scary place where mediocrity, negativity, and apathy run amuck. Where everyone settles. And somehow I had become comfortable with turning into one of those “settlers.”

My experience in Greece flipped the acceptance of “settling” on its head.

Abroad with my 45 companions, settling was out of the question. It was our time to take chances and have those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. We all went in head first and not only learned more about ourselves, but also came to understand how invigorating jumping into the unknown could be. At the end of the trip, we each aimed to go home with the same mentality and vowed to challenge ourselves to take chances, be bold, and make an impact on the world around us.

Since Greece, I’ve truly discovered where my passions lie. I want to do good in the world, but marry that desire with something fun and accessible. After I returned home, my family was sitting around the dinner table talking about my trip and all the incredible pictures they’d seen as I filled them in on the details. My parents were laughing because in almost every single picture, I was wearing clothes that were borrowed from my friends.

And as though someone switched a light on, my dad suddenly had an idea. What if there was a way that college girls could swap clothes with anyone on campus, not just their friends? And what if there was a way to track who had what, along with a measure of integrity and accountability? And what if college women could make some spending money their clothes? Cash In Your Closet–I thought his idea was incredible, but I didn’t think it would actually turn into anything.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

By the time I left for school in August, our plans were underway. Over time, we have worked together to develop an idea that was truly inspired: swap fashions in a trusted online community with other girls all over campus and designate a percentage of the money earned to philanthropies. The word Kalos, is Greek for the word “Good,” and has become our tagline. And after some research, we realized that we could do a great deal of Good with this little endeavor—millions of dollars worth of good if we played our cards right.

We are currently in the process of launching KalosSwap.com at the University of Georgia, with an awesome response. Girls have really been inspired to give and do good, because we’ve made it so easy. Fashion Meets Compassion; what’s not to love about that?

I can’t say that I know exactly where this crazy adventure will have us end up, but I can say where it began. In Greece. If I hadn’t gone, I wouldn’t have been willing to dive with this crazy idea. If I hadn’t gone, I wouldn’t have realized that I am capable of so much more than I give myself credit for. If I hadn’t gone, KalosSwap would not exist. It’s even in the name: “Greek for Good.”

Check it out for yourself at KalosSwap.com.

-McCauley Williams

As I read my own words, I am reminded of how easy it is to exclude ourselves from opportunities and experiences because they make us uncomfortable or uneasy. In my time in Cape Town I made it a goal to open myself to things, people, and experiences I would never catch myself doing at home, and I’m hoping to take my own words more to heart this semester: “ Break down barriers. Take a step out of the comfortable to something that may scare you everyday”. I am truly blessed that my Global LEAD experience forced me to meet amazing people who would have never come into my life without it, and this postcard has been a reminder to continue that idea wherever life may take me.

To get us started, UGA senior Dustin Harris shares his story.

“Not all those who wander are lost” – J. R. R. Tolkien

Flashback two and a half years and I was a Junior in college attempting to study my life away for the GRE and preparing to apply to clinical psychology programs across the nation. Little did I know on March 1, 2010 that I would be setting myself up for the most life changing event I’ve ever experienced.
 
That summer I took a break from my studies and traveled across the world to Greece to embark on the journey of a lifetime. Never would I have guessed that this singular experience in my life would not only change the trajectory of what I wanted to do but would prepare me for the real world in ways I could have never learned had I not studied abroad with Global LEAD. That summer I pushed my own limits further than I ever imagined, whether it was hiking Mount Olympus, bungee jumping for the first time, or backpacking through the Balkans, I unearthed what it meant to truly be alive and find comfort in my own skin.
 
After participating in such an intense experience, I spent the next 4 months trying to piece together what I had just accomplished. I knew I had traveled to countries and done things people can only dream about, which only left a feeling inside of me that I had to pass this experience along to someone else in whatever capacity I could. So when the opportunity to be a intern for Global LEAD this past summer opened up in South Africa, I quickly jumped on top of it.
 
Now explaining what exactly I learned from my time in South Africa or from backpacking Eastern Europe afterward would be rather difficult to do. Compiling a series of all the things I learned, felt, saw, did, and experienced would take hours. So I think that by including this email that I sent my parents in July will help adequately provide the best insight:

“Dear Mom and Dad,

Dustin”

 

This past month I received word and officially accepted a job with Georgia-Pacific in Chicago. While participating in numerous interviews and other events that led to being offered such a great full-time job, I could only think of how appreciative I am to have been part of such an inspiring and motivational program. Without the experiences I’ve had over the course of the past two summers I wouldn’t have ever discovered my true passions, realized what I really wanted to do with my life, or been able to confidently get a job.
 
Global LEAD has been the single most important thing I have ever done in my life. If you want to grow as a personally, professionally, or in any other aspect, I not only recommend that you consider going but insist on it.

–Dustin Harris

Below are 5 causes/awarenesses I have discovered that are byproducts of what we Millenials value. They were started by young people with a dream, a passion, a spark and the urge to be a servant leader.
 
1. Nike Reuse A Shoe

Nike Reuse A Shoe is a program dedicated to giving worn-out sneakers a new life in many different forms.  The team collects your old shoes and recycles them into a material that can be used to make playgrounds, courts and tracks for people to exercise and play on.  Through this whole process of turning something old into something new, and bettering communities on the way, the program has kept over 25 million trashed sneaks out of landfills.  This not only helps humans, but our environment as well!

2. Hug It Forward

Humanity Unconditionally Giving it Forward – and it’s based on the idea of giving out love and expecting nothing in return.  This non-profit has one goal: to unify people as one and empower communities at the same time.  One project of Hug It Forward’s is building schools out of used plastic bottles! To give an example of how this is done, below is one of the schools they built in La Cereza, Guatemala.  It was a small rural community, with inadequate educational infrastructure – by that I mean there were only three classrooms for grades Kindergarten through Sixth.  Teaching so many mixed levels and ages is a definite challenge and as a result, the children were not learning as much as they should have been.

3. 4 Sight

For every pair of sunglasses you buy, they send a pair of corrective glasses to a person in need.

4. Million Dollar Road Trip

 Their mission is simple: “Two brothers. Living in a trailer. Traveling throughout the entire country. Promoting small business and giving cash grants to young entrepreneurs.”
 
5. R4W

Ride for Women is initiative that rents out bicycles to tourists and in turn donates the proceeds and earnings to accomplish their four goals.  The R4W team plans to:

1) Establish a women’s community center/women safe haven

2) Equip women with skills and education

3) Set up income generating activities

4) Train women in improved agriculture and animal rearing.

I am going to leave you with one of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite people.

“I’m not interested in money. I just want to be wonderful” –Marilyn Monroe

Do what you love. Make a difference. The money will come to you.

 This is for World Peace y’all,

Kylie Droke

But, one of the most fulfilling aspects of my job is investing in others and learning from and with them as they pursue their own dreams. One such relationship is with Barrett Brooks, the entrepreneur behind Unconventional Innovations, LLC.  Recently, he launched his inaugural concept: The Career Kickstarter Program.  The details are below for those of you who want to get intentional about success beyond college.

The Living for Monday Career Kickstarter Program

Living for Monday is an Atlanta-based coaching, consulting, and training company whose mission is to equip individuals and organizations to do fulfilling, meaningful work. For a more informal explanation, check out our motto:

          “Don’t wait for weekends to do the work you love”

To us, this joyfully explains our core belief that work should be stimulating, purposeful, and worth waking up for on Monday morning. Living for Monday currently offers free and paid products and services that help college students and young professionals discover and get hired for their dream jobs (and a bunch of other cool stuff, but that’s for another day).

A limited number of spots are open in our Career Kickstarter program, which begins on February 20th, 2012. The coaching curriculum is designed for individuals or self-formed groups of 3-5. After the spots fill up, the only way the curriculum will be available is via the online self-study version. I promise the coaching portion is worth your while (see testimonials below). Currently, there are only 19 spots left for coaching. So don’t hurry, but think seriously about this opportunity before it’s gone.

Career Kickstarter

An inside-out process to discover your dream job (and get it). 

Through our curriculum, our clients receive three key benefits.  These benefits will all be delivered with the intent of identifying, pursuing, and landing a dream job.

1. Transformed mindset :: stop dreading the concept of work, learn where you provide value, and figure out how to get paid for it
2. Accessible toolset :: acquire practical means for breaking into the industry where you want to be and stop hoping a dream job just shows up
3. Expanded job set :: “Over 80% of today’s jobs aren’t advertised” [CNN Money] – learn how to access the hidden job market without destroying your professional network in the process

Who Career Kickstarter Benefits

Let’s be real, this program isn’t for anyone.  It’s difficult.  Prepare to push yourself and be pushed.  That’s simply what it takes to find fulfilling work. 

The only thing we require is a determination to succeed and a dedication to the Career Kickstarter program. We’ve worked with students getting ready to graduate, young business owners, and young professionals making career switches. Anyone who has the desire to start or move into a passionate career and is willing to put forth the effort will benefit greatly from our program.

What Is Included in Career Kickstarter

Our curriculum is delivered in one of three ways: one-on-one coaching, coaching for groups of three to five individuals, or online self-study.

• One-on-one Coaching - What you’ll get: One pre-coaching consult and goal setting session, eight individual coaching sessions, and one wrap up session. Also includes an 8-week email series or ebook to deliver the content, blog assignments on your very own career-oriented blog, the Strengthsfinder 2.0 book and assessment, access to online resources, access to coach in between sessions, and our guarantee.
• Group coaching - What you’ll get:  One individual pre-coaching consult and goal-setting session, eight group coaching sessions, and one individual wrap up session. Groups should be formed by the interested parties – Living for Monday will not be responsible for forming groups between individual clients. Also includes an 8-week email series or ebook to deliver the content, blog assignments on your very own career-oriented blog, the Strengthsfinder 2.0 book and assessment, access to online resources, access to coach in between sessions, and our guarantee.
• Online Self-Study - What you’ll get: An 8-week daily email program and ebook to deliver the content, blog assignments and your very own career-oriented blog, the Strengthsfinder 2.0 book and assessment, access to online resources, and email access to a coach for questions.

What Our Past Clients Have to Say

“Barrett has been stellar during our working together. His ability to relate and encourage make for productive and comfortable sessions. He can easily communicate in person, via phone, or through Skype, bringing a needed flexibility to the meeting locations. After our sessions, I feel motivated to define my future and take my career search to the next level.” – Miles Buchanan, Student, via LinkedIn

For pricing more reviews, pricing and how to reserve your spot today, check out Barrett’s webpage at http://livingvalues.wordpress.com/.

Short-term summer programs rated even higher – 4th in the US. In 2009-2010, 1,695 students studied abroad on a short-term program and 111 of these students embarked on a Global LEAD experience to Greece or Cape Town.

“Study abroad is critical to students for a number of reasons,” said Kavita Pandit, the UGA associate provost for international education. “First, it forces students to listen, observe and reflect on what’s going on around them-all of which are critical to learning. They also experience personal growth and attain the quiet confidence that ‘I can do this,’ whether it’s to catch a bus or to learn a foreign language.”
 
“Finally, study aboard gives them global skills and competencies that are critical for the work place. There is no doubt that employers value study abroad experience when they look at résumés.”
 
We completely agree. Global LEAD experiences provide a breadth of exposure to different cultures that takes students out of their comfort zone and allows for personal growth. Global LEADers come back with a variety of stories to share in interviews showing their adaptability, global mindset and problem-solving skills.
 
“As I look back to the week of spring break, when I signed up for Global LEAD, I could have never envisioned just how incredible this experience has been. It has changed my life. It has taught me that the beauty of success and failure is that neither are final. I must constantly work to improve myself, take risks, and exist outside of my comfort zone. Complacency is the friend of mediocrity. Never be comfortable with where you are. Act, ask questions, and live life to its absolute fullest” reflected UGA student Tim Rood on his time in Cape Town.

These short-term programs have a positive impact the faculty who teach as well as the students who learn. “Teaching abroad opens up a lot of research opportunities for our faculty,” said UGA study abroad director Kasee Laster. “I’ve had many faculty tell me that teaching abroad was the most personally satisfying and meaning opportunity of their careers.”

As part of Global LEAD’s academic partnership with UGA, 3 UGA professors and a team of teaching assistants and PhD students will have the opportunity to spend the summer in Ecuador, Greece or Cape Town. While on the ground, the UGA and Global LEAD staff work side-by-side to deliver and facilitate transformative experiences.

The international experience can be the most memorable and impactful time of one’s college career. Global LEAD is proud to have such a strong partner in UGA in order to plan, promote and deliver these experiences.

Get to know Global LEAD’s First Mover Scholarship Winner for December – Sara Sanfilippo!
 
University: University of Tennessee
Major: Nursing

Global LEAD Experience: LEAD Ecuador 2012

Favorite way to spend a Friday night: As long as there is good company, I’ll be happy anywhere!

Favorite Music: Country
 

“I truly believe education is all around us and is the doorway to a life we have always imagined ourselves having.”
 
“I think that in order to become such a worldly person it would take a lot of internal examination. Being a Global Citizen requires you to be open, accepting, and knowledgeable of many diverse cultures. This is exactly why it is important to be a Global Citizen, it reduces ignorance and hate that often stems from not knowing the truth about others.”

Congratulations Sara!  We cannot wait to explore Ecuador with you this summer.

As I read my words on gratitude written almost 5 months ago on LEAD Cape Town 2011, I realize how true they still ring. I am who I am because of the support of others. None of my accomplishments, however small or grand, could be achieved without the support and motivation of those around me. In each success, I am fortunate enough to share that moment with those around me. As true with the lesson we learned in Cape Town
 
“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
 
To this day, I’m fortunate enough to say I have a father who proudly displays my acceptance letter, framed in his office, just above his diploma.