MORE FROM HUFFPOST
MORE FROM HUFFPOST
global citizen year
After spending a year living there, I found it second nature to lean in for a peck rather than extend a hand in greeting. Throughout my time in the country, this was just one of the many aspects of Ecuadorian culture that I not only cherished, but also quickly embraced as part of my daily routine.
On the airplane from Quito to Houston, I wondered how challenging stepping into my United States world would be after my "gap" year spent in Ecuador.
After three months in rural West Africa, my blood and bones surely carry a fair sum of parasites, bugs and amoebas -- but they also carry something infinitely more interesting.
As founder and CEO of Global Citizen Year, Falik is crystal clear that her organization is not a typical freshman year, not a traditional gap year and not a study abroad program.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
WHAT'S HAPPENING
HuffPost's Third Metric seeks to redefine success beyond money and power. Global Citizen Year helps students take a gap year between high school and college students in order to thrive beyond the classroom and find the path in life that suits them.
Parents and students expect real results from the four-year undergraduate curriculum. This is not unreasonable. Scholarly studies have shown that programs like Global Citizen Year do deliver real educational outcomes.
What I have learned from living abroad is that the meaning of the word "election" is not universal.
People everywhere live in very challenging situations, and President Obama is able to reach beyond international boarders and deliver optimism to those who seek it.
