my best shot

Our favorite summer photo from each of the seven program sites

San Francisco
Boston
North San Francisco Bay
New York
Philadelphia
Silicon Valley
Seattle

Drakzin
Junior at Gateway High School, San Francisco
(special thanks to referral partner Joel Rangel)
SEA Woods Hole

I have never seen a boat before and now I was actually on a boat, and learning all sorts of things like what is a deck, and what is rigging… All the students there were experienced – they knew what they were supposed to be doing – and I didn’t. I threw up for four days in a row. It was really shocking for me. I’ve always been the tough one. Now I have friends that are from Pennsylvania and from Colorado and all over. Most of them were rich and very good in school—I learned a lot from them.

 

Antoinette
Junior at Media and Communications High School, Boston
(special thanks to referral partner Amy Snodgrass)
Chewonki, Maine

When you’re kayaking you have to learn to flip and do a wet exit. My friends and family were surprised at me that I even did that. It was very scary. I can swim and stuff but I don’t like being underwater, so when I got back up, I said, “Wow, I can’t believe I just did that.” The instructor said “Good job, now you get to do it again.” Everyday we come from a day of kayaking they would make us all wet exit. It was actually kind of easy by the end.

 

Ernan
Junior at Rancho Cotate High School, Rohnert Park, North Bay
(special thanks to referral partner Margarita Gonzalez)
North Carolina Outward Bound School

This was my first time rock-climbing and I had nervous legs – I’m not so comfortable with heights. When I got to the top of the mountain I just felt really great about myself. I smiled and I thanked everyone for their support, but on the inside I was just screaming for joy.

 

Simon
Senior at St. Raymond’s High School, The Bronx
(special thanks to referral partner Gregory Scott)
AFS - Italy

When I got to Italy it was really late at night so I didn’t get to see anything till the next day. When I woke up the next morning the window was completely open and I could see – it was beautiful – all these rolling hills, and fields that went all the way to the horizon, and those pointy pine trees they have there. The sun was rising. It looked like a picture. I couldn’t believe I was in the middle of that. It was like I was in a dream. I just woke up in a different universe.

 

Maria
Senior at Bodine High School, Philadelphia
(special thanks to referral partner George Chappell)
Global Leadership Adventures, Brazil

I went to an opening ceremony for one of the community centers. I actually was the first person to walk in, and I saw all these clown faces and all these kids and everyone was clapping. I just wasn’t expecting it because I’d never been to Brazil before and they don’t even know me but they were still so happy to welcome me. They were telling me to sit down and they were all smiling and tugging at me like I was a superstar, and it was just amazing. I felt surprised, but I felt good.

Tony
Senior at Leadership Public Schools Hayward, Silicon Valley
(special thanks to referral partner Omar Wandera)
AFS-Paraguay

Before I went, I thought, well, we’re in America, it’s pretty diverse here – I think I can handle going to a different country. But when you’re actually in a different country it challenges all your beliefs about culture, about family, even about how time is supposed to be. It was an amazing mind-opening experience. I love talking about my summer trip!

 

Bao-Tram
Senior at Ingraham High School, Seattle
(special thanks to referral partner Jacky Graupner)
Where There Be Dragons

As time goes by and I’m at home, I revisit my trip a lot. I used to think that because my mother is ill, that I was unfortunate, but I just saw so much in India – it was very humbling. The poverty I saw – I still think about it. Right now, it seems like a dream, that I could have experienced all of that.