Six Students Think Globally and Act Locally

Six Students Think Globally and Act Locally

By Rebecca Goldfine

This summer, Bowdoin's 2024 Global Citizens are living in Thailand, Honduras, Peru, Nepal, Costa Rica, and Namibia. Each is partnering with a local nonprofit to engage in on-the-ground work to support communities.

Every summer, the McKeen Center for the Common Good awards several of its coveted Global Citizens Fellowships to support students pursuing public service projects outside of the United States.

Students interested in the program independently research an international nonprofit they want to work with, and in their fellowship application, due in February, describe an undertaking they wish to focus on during their time abroad. Preference is given to smaller organizations with local governance.

Before they depart for their host country, the fellows participate in a spring semester seminar and complete an online course through Omprakash, a global network of locally-led social impact organizations.

When they return to campus in the fall, the students gather to reflect on and discuss their experiences, and to talk about ways they might address the issues they encountered abroad while back here at Bowdoin.

Tom Ancona, McKeen Center's associate director, runs the Global Citizens program. "I've been incredibly impressed with the thoughtfulness and diligence our Global Citizens fellows have shown this year, from their preparations in the spring through their reflections during this summer," he said. "I am also eager for them to come together and discuss their experiences back at Bowdoin this fall."

In early July, we checked in with the 2024 Global Citizens-Nate Berg '27, Mila Bonometti '26, Lex Davis '26, Jimmy Netherton '26, Siara Soule '26, and Luisa Wolcott-Breen '25-to ask them about their experiences so far.

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Nate Berg '27, Bangkok, Thailand

Volunteer English Bangkok is a registered non-governmental organization (NGO) serving underprivileged children by providing free volunteer-run English classes in cities, rural communities, and monasteries across Thailand.

What's been the most fulfilling moment you've had so far?

"In the northern city Chiang Mai, I became friends with a street vendor named Tak. He works selling roti (Indian crêpes or tortillas) outside a gas station using a stove bolted to his motorbike. Both of us are nineteen, and sharing meals with my friend Tak, perched on a curb on the side of the road, is something I'll always remember."

The most challenging moment?

"I've been extremely lucky to travel all over Thailand while teaching, using Bangkok as my home base and visiting Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, and more. Each region has its own culture and customs, and bouncing around from place to place has forced me to continually relearn new social conventions. Ordering my first meal in each region is always exciting but quite difficult!"

Describe the view from your window!

"Frantic and overwhelming in the best way! The students have boundless energy and make teaching a breeze, and Thailand is full of new experiences waiting to be stumbled upon. When not teaching, I spend my time exploring, eating things I've never seen before, and getting wonderfully lost."

What is one cultural phenomenon you've observed that reminds you you're far from home?

"Buddhist monks are everywhere, barefoot and clad in flowing saffron robes. It happens almost daily, but it's always a shock to see a monk hitchhiking around town on the back of a motorbike."

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Mila Bonometti '26, El Porvenir, Honduras

Honduras Child Allianceoperates an educational and healthy-lifestyle program in a community facing extreme poverty. Many people grow up working in the surrounding pineapple fields owned by Dole.

What's been the most fulfilling moment you've had so far?

"When the children I teach run up to hug me when they see me walking down the street! Hearing them shout my name reminds me that I do have an impact on their lives, even if it is for only a brief period of time."

The most challenging moment?

"Saying goodbye. I never thought I would meet people who I would now call my best friends, and having to let them go has been very difficult. While I know there are more to come, it makes me happy to know that I'll always have friends across the globe who have shared this unique experience with me."

Describe the view from your window!

"From one window is a view of the beach; fifty feet away is the Caribbean Sea, a bright blue expanse entirely vacant besides the occasional fisherman. From the other window I can see the mountains that rise tall behind the roads of El Porvenir; on clear days I'm able to see every ridge and tree on Pico Bonito!"

What is one cultural phenomenon you've observed that reminds you you're far from home?

"Most people in the town I live in do not know any English, so I recognize my surprise to hear English conversations when I travel to more populated towns. I usually work completely immersed in Spanish alongside local Hondurans, so my shock at hearing someone speaking English reminds me I am far from home!"

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Lex Davis '26, Cusco, Peru

Helping Hands is an NGO that works to improve the living standards of underprivileged children, families, and community members in poor areas in Cusco.

What's been the most fulfilling moment you've had so far?

"Seeing the kids' growth and their grasp of English vocabulary increase. The difference from where they started to now is really fulfilling. Another moment is every time I arrive to each of my classes the kids surround me in hugs; it is nice to see they appreciate me!"

The most challenging moment?

"At the beginning there was so much change. It was hard not knowing what was expected of me and what the expectations were for the children. I was worried about saying or doing the wrong thing without realizing I was doing it."

Describe the view from your window!

"Right outside my window is a dirt path leading to the mountains. On the left side of my view are some Incan ruins. I see various houses of different shapes and sizes often accompanied by laundry hanging to dry."

What is one cultural phenomenon you've observed that reminds you you're far from home?

"I think the clearest sign I am far from home is seeing all the dogs roaming the street. When I walk places, I have to avoid sleeping and barking dogs. There are so many everywhere."

Jimmy Netherton '26, Mustang Region of Nepal

The Himalayan Children Care and Environment Conservation Program focuses on giving children in the Mustang region-which is an isolated, mountainous area-free health care, consistent education, shelter, and community.

What's been the most fulfilling moment you've had so far?

"Although I love working with the kids there is always some degree of separation between us because of the language barrier. This language and culture barrier also extends to everyone else around me and makes me feel disconnected from people. So I think the most fulfilling moments aside from playing with the kids and getting to know them on an individual level have been moments I spend by myself, whether that be reading, journaling, or watching the rain fall. This solitude has also given me perspective on how much I appreciate the people that I love back home."

The most challenging moment?

"Interacting with people on the street like vendors. Nepal has a specific view of white people, and the adults I have interacted with outside of the hostel I am working at are all very friendly. However, most of the time if you continue talking with them it becomes clear that their motivation is often an attempt to get money from you. It has been an adjustment getting used to being stared at and having prices bumped up when I buy things, but I remind myself that it comes out of a place of need and, though it's disingenuous, it has nothing to do with me."

Describe the view from your window!

"From my window it is most often pouring rain, but through the rain I see a hill with a red and gold stupa [a sacred Buddhist structure that often holds religious objects and is used as a place for meditation]. Behind the stupa is a steep and densely wooded jungle. Pokhara sits right at the base of the Himalayas so on most of my travels I am surrounded by mountains."

What is one cultural phenomenon you've observed that reminds you you're far from home?

"I think the thing that always causes some dissonance for me is the gesture locals make when they mean yes/okay/good. The gesture is a head tilt to the side, and it looks almost exactly like when you shrug your shoulders and tilt your head in the US to say, 'I don't know.' When I serve food to the children they shrug like they are unsure if the amount I am giving them is enough, but in actuality they are telling me, 'That's enough, you can stop.' It also throws me for a loop when I am trying to negotiate with vendors. When we agree on a price they do this head tilt and my brain is telling me that they are unsure if they want to accept my offer, when in reality it is the opposite."

Siara Soule '26, Playa Samara and El Torito, Costa Rica

La Asociación Crear is a community-based organization that supplements the public education of local students by providing free English, art, nature, leadership, and skill-development programs after school and during vacations.

What's been the most fulfilling moment you've had so far?

"In English class, I led a small group of three girls in a clock-reading and matching activity. The goal was to match an image of a clock with the correct English phrase-for example, 'it's one o'clock.' They struggled with the matching game, unsure of how to read clocks or English phrases confidently. With the teacher's nod, we switched gears, and started breaking down clock parts and time-telling basics. My students took turns reading the images of the clocks in Spanish. Once they gained more confidence, we moved on to practicing reading the English phrases. This is when I turned to my left and asked one of my students if they could read a card with a phrase in English on it. She looked at me and said, 'No puedo leer Inglés (I can't read English).' This particular student is new to the program so she doesn't have the same vocabulary or experience with English. We practiced numbers aloud, spelled them out together, then returned to the cards. Once again the students took turns reading the cards out loud. And then something really cool happened-they began playing the matching game on their own and getting every answer right!

At the end of the lesson, I couldn't help but express my pride to the hesitant student by saying, 'Estoy muy orgulloso de ti, me dijiste que no puedes leer Inglés, pero estabas leido Inglés! (I'm very proud of you, you said that you couldn't read English but you were reading English!).' She looked at me with the sweetest face and asked, 'De mí? (Of me?).' I responded, 'Sí! Por supuesto estoy orgulloso de ti! (Yes! Of course I am proud of you!).' She immediately flung her arms around me and hugged me for a minute. I had to fight back tears of joy, even now I get emotional thinking about it, because she reminded me why I want to become a teacher and why I love working with children. I can say with certainty that I will remember that moment for the rest of my life."

The most challenging moment?

"I got ear infections in both ears that impaired my hearing for almost two weeks. I am in a rural part of Costa Rica, so there were challenges finding health care, navigating the system, and then taking time to heal. I continued to work during the entire time and it was frustrating. Not because I was sick but because I couldn't hear my students-I felt like I was failing them, I felt like I wasn't connecting with them, and like I wasn't doing the work I came here to do. I also felt so bad constantly having to ask my students to repeat themselves! But the infection cleared up and a week later my hearing improved and I realized a lot of my feelings of doubt were unfounded."

Describe the view from your window!

"I live in a secluded neighborhood in my town lovingly named Cantarana, singing frog, because in the summer (it is winter in Costa Rica right now) the frogs sing very loudly. In the morning, before most people get up, I can hear birds singing and whistling, and although I don't know the names of the species, they are really beautiful! At the front corner of my house there is a large mango tree. When the mangoes were in season my host mom would send me with mangoes for a daily snack. Now only the howler monkeys enjoy them and litter the road with half-eaten mangoes-this is welcomed because it makes our entire street smell like sweet, sweet mangoes! We have many community soccer fields in town and I am lucky enough to say that my house is directly next to one of the fields. When I come home from work, I often find my students and other community members playing soccer and other games. The sounds of laughter and joy travel through my window and it is contagious! I will say, my students are REALLY good at soccer and I don't often join in because they will destroy me on the field. "

What is one cultural phenomenon you've observed that reminds you you're far from home?

"A friend had told me before coming here that I was going to love Costa Rica, not because of the natural beauty, but because people here are 'the nicest people in the world.' I didn't take this comment to heart because I thought it was just something people say, but in the six weeks that I have been here it has proven to be true. On my ten-minute bike ride to work I am greeted by every single person I pass with a smile and hola, or buenos dias! Every time I am exploring a new part of town I end up having a long, friendly conversation with someone."

Siara Soule is funded by a funded internship from Career Exploration and Development but has gone through all our Global Citizen Fellowship programming.

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Luisa Wolcott-Breen '25, NamibRand Nature Reserve and Swakopmund, Namibia

NaDEET (Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust) is an environmental education organization that helps people comply with the Namibian constitution, which calls for Namibians to engage in the "maintenance of ecosystems, essential ecological processes and biological diversity of Namibia, and the utilization of living natural resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit of the Namibians, both present and future."

What's been the most fulfilling moment you've had so far?

"I am working at NaDEET's desert center, where groups of students come from Monday through Friday to learn in formal ways-classroom and outdoor discussions and experiments-as well as informal ways, like taking bucket showers and cooking on solar stoves. I asked a participant, Maria, how she felt about going home. She said she did not want to leave because she learned so much and was so inspired by how to truly live sustainably, and had met other students who cared about the environment and wanted to make a change. In another conversation, a student named Leonard explained the issues that he saw in his country and how he was going to change them. He wanted to study history in order to prevent the past repeating itself. These students dove in to learning and shared their passion and curiosity with one another. NaDEET's slogan is 'living and learning sustainably.' The students really lived this saying by trying to minimize their water usage and asking questions about animal tracks and compost management. It is incredible to be around students who want to make changes to their world and are putting in the work to seed sustainability wherever they go. Their curiosity, passion, knowledge, and kindness reminded me of why I want to go into the field of outdoor education!"

The most challenging moment?

"The most challenging moments have come with understanding my position here. I am volunteering my time for an organization where most of the people working here have grown up in a very different culture. I am a privileged white student coming from a private US college to a desert education center in Namibia. Small nuances and major differences become pronounced as we eat different foods using different methods together during our lunch break. Conversations become politically charged when I least expect it, with discussions about foreign trading, LGBTQ+ rights, and governmental corruption a common occurrence at dinner. I have learned to listen to people's explanations before drawing conclusions and responding as I would to someone with my same cultural and political background. I ask questions and learn more about Namibia's economy, gender roles, and civic engagement in order to understand their perspectives. I am here for a short period of time, but I am grateful to the people who have opened up and explained their thoughts on these bigger questions with me."

Describe the view from your window!

"The view is spectacular. (I love this question!) Out my window, I see red sand composed of oxidized iron- which the students learn about during their weekly dune walk. The sand seems to stretch forever, interrupted only by rocky outcrops and patches of vegetation. Camel Thorn trees and Smelly Shepherd trees dot the landscape, and oryxes prance around the bare land. When I am lucky, I get to see ostriches or owls. I have been fortunate enough to watch the sunset from the dunes, which cast a great shadow over the rest of the land. The sunsets are gentle and beautiful: light pinks meeting a cloudless sky with stars coming out as early as 7:00 p.m. I look out from my window onto the Namib Desert, whose sand, sunsets, and stars have imprinted a view that I will cherish forever."

What is one cultural phenomenon you've observed that reminds you you're far from home?

"There are many languages spoken here, including Oshiwambo and Afrikaans. I am reminded that I am far from home when I greet people with my mumbled California accent-when 'good morning' is answered with 'I am good, how are you?' And 'goodnight' is interpreted as 'can I…?' Dinner conversations often go over my head as people slip between languages, and I feel like I miss half of the cues to laugh. The NaDEET staff I have gotten to know staying at the base have been incredible, and the language barrier feels like an opportunity to learn more than an obstacle that prevents me from fully connecting with the community and experience. I think it is a good experience to be somewhere where I am in the minority after being surrounded by similar looking and thinking people for most of my life."

Published July 25, 2024