Category: Student reflections

Day 8–Homestay Gathering

Just a short post here to document our fun-filled gathering at the one of the farms–Maria Jose for all the the GYLI students and many of the farming families.  It was a wonderful dinner for 70 prepared by the host families to thank GYLI for sending groups to them over the last 9 years.  I…
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July 23, 2014 0

My Path to Leadership

GYLI exposed me to new cultures and concepts. As a teenager, I was just figuring out the racial dynamics of Milwaukee and the seemingly antipodal waters between my home and school life. GYLI expanded my universe and gave me a multidimensional introduction to cultural complexities. Traveling around the world and learning from thought-provoking teachers provided…
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February 13, 2014 0

Seeking the Center

I’m sitting on a hollow log in a small clearing in the brush surrounding the Lama Foundation in New Mexico. I’m about halfway through my solo, the Year 2 experience that invites each participant to spend some concentrated alone time in personal reflection. I’ve finally run out of ways to occupy myself – journaling, drawing,…
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October 20, 2013 0

Leadership Legs

Sailors talk of sea legs: the ability to keep your balance while the boat rocks in rough water. It’s supposed to be an acquired skill. When my peers voted for me to be the “captain for a day” of the tall ship Amistad during my first GYLI experience, I was a fidgety fifteen-year old who…
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September 25, 2013 0