This article is dedicated to all current juniors. Or sophomores. Or freshmen. Actually, this article is dedicated to anyone but the seniors. I’m sorry, you guys missed out.
The summer between your junior and senior year, everyone at Westmont has the opportunity to go on a 11 day trip to a foreign country through a program partnered with Westmont: Global Glimpse. For those who have yet to hear about this program let me tell you, joining Global Glimpse is the best decision you could make if you chose to apply.
Essentially, the trip consists of:
- 11 days
- 15-20 students from nearby schools
- Two teachers from random schools who travel with you
- No family (you will get phone calls home don’t worry)
- No phone (I swear to you, this is the best part, not the worst)
- So much fun
I recommend this trip for anyone who wants to experience life and travel the world. Not only does it teach you about other cultures, but it also teaches you a lot about yourself. How outgoing you can be, how comfortable you are with being uncomfortable, and who you are without your family.
The Application
The application is super simple, all it contains is 8ish questions to answer about yourself, your passions, and why you want to participate in the program. The most annoying part of applying, is putting in all your medical records, including things like allergies, vaccines, and past medical history. You also get to request where to go, the three options are Panama (which is where I went), Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica. You also get to block out dates in the summer that you would be unable to travel during, this is especially helpful if you have trips already planned. Once you submit, you hear back from Global Glimpse around November-December. If you ever want a student who went on the trip to read your application before you submit it, you can always reach out to me or to Mrs. Fawson who is the contact person for Global Glimpse at Westmont.
The cost
The cost (4,000) can be daunting, however, Global Glimpse provides super high scholarships to those who need it and is based on need. The application has a page on finances, where they ask for financial information. Based on yours, or your parents income, Global Glimpse reduces the cost of your trip. In my experience, the people on my trip paid a range of different amounts, some paid the full amount, but others went for 600 or free, and there were plenty in between.
Please do not let the cost of this experience be the reason you do not apply. If you apply and get accepted, and the scholarship they provide is not enough, you can always reach out to the program, tell them of your situation and they would be more than happy to see what they can do for you.
The Trip
- No Phones??? – A lot of people, when they share their experience of their trip, bring up the rule of no technology. To me, not having my phone made the experience so much better. I know, had we been allowed to have our phones on the trip, I never would have spent so much time getting to know the others on my trip, or appreciated the travel as much as I did. During the trip, you get to call home 2 or 3 times, if you get homesick you can always ask one of the leaders on your trip if you call home, and they will always do their best to help you.
- What do you do? – Each delegation (that’s what each group is called) does different activities. Your first 2 days are spent traveling to your location, but once there, different activities around town take up your day. For example, in Chitre, Panama, one day was spent on a farm, taking care of baby animals like cows, goats and chickens. Another day we made bread at a bakery, did some pottery and painting. Additionally, 3 of your days are dedicated to a Community Action Project (CAP), which is different for every trip, even if they are to the same location. Some people work with schools (this is what I did), others plant trees, or build houses and parks. No matter what you end up doing, or how you spend your time, you will be involved, have fun, and learn so much.
The Memories
Look, leaving your home to go on a trip with random people is scary—no doubt about it. But looking back on my trip, I have absolutely nothing but fond memories of every single person I got to meet. You get to have another family for 11 days of your life. For me personally, my favorite memories were when we did face masks as a group, the games we played (we played a lot of BS and Mafia), and every time we laughed as a group. If you go on a trip, and you should, you will have such a fun time, and every time you look back on a photo and see everyone’s smiles, you’ll want to relive it all over again.
