Category: Alumni

Global Works Alum David Narrow Reflects on his Experience 6 Years Later

In 2006 I led my very first trip to Costa Rica with Global Works. It was 4 weeks of service, outdoor adventure, language immersion and Pico de Gallo. We couldn’t have had a better group of students. I recently caught up with David Narrow, now a graduate student at Johns Hopkins.  Here’s what he has to say, 6 years later, about how those 4 weeks have informed and affected his path.

-Mary

At the age of 16, most middle-class American kids are completely immersed in anything from a video game, to socializing and partying, to college visiting and studying for the SATs. Due to all the pressures from parents, peers and the media, most kids get overwhelmed and frustrated when things don’t go their way. This frustration often causes a lot of stress and is not a healthy way for a 16 year old to be living. While most people on my Global Works trip to Costa Rica had good educations and came from well-off families, most of us had not been truly exposed to the way of life of so many all around the world. Global Works put life and the real world in perspective for all of us. The program taught us to put our problems in perspective and realize how big of an impact each of us can have on the world. (more…)

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Global Works and Circle of Writers Alumna, Maggie Moran motivates her entire community to help Nicaragua

Dear Global Works Community:

I’m happy to introduce you to Maggie Moran. Maggie was on the Global Works Nicaragua trip that I co-led last summer. Aside from being a great cement-mixer, tree-planter and fence-fixer in Nicaragua, Maggie has a knack for motivating others. She joined a Circle of Writers online Travel Writing workshop upon her return to the U.S, where she recorded her impressions with other Global Works students. Her final piece for the workshop, which captured her transformation in Nicaragua, served as her college admissions essay. She’ll be volunteering in Ghana this summer, and attending Boston College in the fall. Check out Maggie’s latest state-side project below.

Mary


After I got home from Nicaragua, I couldn’t stop thinking about the kids. For as much of an impact we made on their lives, it pales in comparison to the way in which they changed mine. I wanted to give back to them in every way that I could. I decided to collect gently used clothes, sneakers, cleats in addition to soccer balls and school supplies. First, I contacted one of our project directors in Nicaragua. He was excited to hear from me, and willing to help out by receiving the donations and distributing them.  I asked everyone I know for help—their response was overwhelming. Friends, family, and even strangers from the neighborhood cleaned out their closets and toy rooms– my parents graciously allowed the donations to pile up on our porch. (more…)

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Update from the Home Office

Everyone here in the Global Works Home Office has been busy preparing for our Summer Service Adventure trips starting in June, in addition to our current Custom Group Travel Programs that are already in the field!  We’ve had 8 trips already on the go this year, and will have many more trips traveling the globe in the upcoming months!  Check out some of the trip updates by clicking here: TRIP UPDATES.

While we have been busy in the home office, we have also been having fun!  Here is an update from our office homies:

Polly & Fritz Moriarty:
The Moriarty’s have been busy spending time with their children, running races, and starting the Global Works Community Fund!  Here are a few highlights: Ellie (their oldest daughter) turned 4 and now attends a Spanish immersion pre-school. She already aspires to be a stellar Global Works leader in 19 years! Hanna turned 1 and is learning how to hula hoop. Ellie’s a pretty good teacher!

In her free time, Polly has been busy getting Global Works Community Fund started! (more…)

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Global Works & Limitless Horizons Ixil

When we step beyond our fears of the unknown, it can be a life-changing experience. You know this – you lived it on your trip with Global Works! Maybe you opened your heart and mind on your trip, and your outlook on life changed as a result. Perhaps you even changed the lives of the people you interacted with, through a service project or a conversation across cultural boundaries. We imagine that you accomplished things on your trip that you never thought possible and that you returned home with amazing memories and a personal understanding of how much in our lives we can take for granted.
How can you keep the spirit of that trip – community, culture, and service – with you?

This year, we at Global Works are excited about providing you with an opportunity to continue giving back. We’re partnering with a local organization in Guatemala, Limitless Horizons Ixil (LHI), which has been a host of Global Works student trips like yours.  By making a gift to LHI this holiday season, you’ll once again be joining our collective commitment to making the world a better place, one community at a time. (more…)

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Support Literacy Initiatives in Guatemala

It’s 100 Book Day season once again! 100 Book Day started in 2009 when Katie (former Global Works Leader and Office Homie) and her son Finn started talking about what it would be like to read one hundred books in one day! What transpired was an idea for them to do just that, and in doing so, to raise money and awareness for Reading Village.  Reading Village is a non-profit organization that focuses on children in Guatemala while working collaboratively with residents of impoverished villages to create programs that develop a culture of reading. (more…)

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