Where would you travel if it was free?
You will often hear about how great of a teacher travel is, or how life changing the experience can be. But life happens, and there are things that get in the way like fear of traveling alone, the language barrier, not knowing where to start, or scheduling obligations. However, one of of the top reasons people give for not travelling is not being able to afford it. Imagine if someone came along and said don’t worry about any of that stuff we got you. We’ll arrange everything, just clear your schedule on these days and update your passport. Would you be open to it and where would you go?
Dreams are becoming a reality
For a group of eight young men, this is becoming a reality. Today we had the first meeting with the inaugural class of Escape the Shape. Escape the Shape (ETS) is a nonprofit organization that provides mentorship to BIPOC male students in DC through experiential learning, social, emotional, and educational mentorship, and service learning via travel. And I get to serve on the board of directors.
We have a full schedule of community service, cultural exchange, and exploration set to happen in the summer of 2024 for this group of amazing young men. It is our mission to inspire the next generation of local entrepreneurs, innovators, philanthropists, and leaders via global citizenship. Our goal is to connect students to multicultural events, activities, and volunteerism around the world to inspire action and affect change within their communities. We will accomplish this through community service, a full year of mentorship, and documenting our journey before we board any flight.
Travel has made me who I am today
I was born into a military family and travel was a way of life. Every few years my family would relocate to another state and I would have to adapt to the new space. There were plenty of opportunities to learn from, and some of those tough lessons really helped me to affirm myself. Rooted in integrity, family, and duty, I understood who I was at an early age, and those tough lessons became fewer and further between as a result. I learned to approach new challenges by observing and adapting with an open heart and mind which has served me my entire life. It helped me gain the respect of peers and superiors alike and rise into leadership in various arenas to this day. I’m also able to recognize the value I bring to a comm
unity through the various skills and experiences I’ve been afforded to acquire by being open. (read more about my journey)
I’m excited to bring whatever wisdom of my life experiences to this group of young men through mentoring, journaling, and participating in community service projects along side them. Part of the journaling we will be doing is 30 days of gratitude and for day 1, I can say that I’m extremely grateful to have been selected to be a part of this opportunity. More than that, I’m grateful for those that are making this possible.
We don’t do it alone
These young men get to go on this adventure without having to pay a single penny, thanks to the generous donations from those that believe in our work. If you would like to be one of those people to help this and future groups experience the world, consider making a contribution. We even have a sponsorship package for those that would like to sponsor one of our students.
Thank you for supporting Fresh Tech and putting me in a position to do work in the community.