Global Leadership Adventures

My name is Shamus Davenport and I am a senior in high school currently. Every single high school summer I have participated in a GLA program. During the Summer of 2023 I chose to go on GLA’s Costa Rica: Sea Turtle Initiative program from July 7th through the 16th. One thing I want to highlight about this program and GLA as a whole is that there are ways to make it cheaper! If you put in some time and effort, there are available scholarships which I have done on all three of my programs! Focusing on the actual trip, this was life changing. I can talk endlessly about the people this organization attracts. Locals, counselors, and fellow campers alike every trip I’ve been on leads to lifelong friendships and connections. Fun fact, I have flown across the country to see friends from every single program I have been on! This time specifically I made close friends that I am still close with and go on more adventures with. Then, our home base manager, raft guide, local tour guide, and many more locals all showed such passion for their jobs, sharing the environment, culture, and traditions with everybody. Something I have learned through this program and really took to heart during this one was, there are endless opportunities to grow, learn, and broaden your perspective, whether you do this 10 day program or another one of GLA’s various programs. The main thing you need to know is to engage in every possible opportunity and to stay present! It will change your experience in the program and maybe, like it did for me, your life. This was a huge theme throughout this one specifically. Every GLA program restricts phone use to different extents, but with this one, being the most remote program even during times where we had our phones there was not a lot of service so we were, in a way, forced to engage more. I have always disliked phones, I feel like they take away from actually living life, but this trip really strengthened that value for me. I feel like since then I have applied that concept and seized moments more so than before which brings a lot more value to every experience. I am a very outdoorsy person which checks out seeing as I love these trips and there were so many fun adventures from rafting to checking out the small village close by. It’s so hard to pick a favorite one. I loved playing soccer with the local kids, but I think rafting was my favorite. Nothing could compare to the beauty we saw along the volcanic river. There were cool buildings and areas for people to stop at and explore and the nature was unreal, not to mention the rapids were large and very fun. Speaking of rapids, I can speak a lot for the wonderful balance between safety and fun this program provides. GLA always does a good job setting reasonable rules depending on where we are while also creating an environment that nurtures the spirit of adventure. While most programs have pretty strenuous service work, a really nice thing about this one is that it is just another adventure. The main chunk of service consists of doing turtle walks from 8-12 at night. Even though we were attentive and watching for turtles the entire time, something about walking on the beach at night with the moon and stars shining overhead just makes the work so much fun and leads to great conversations. Not to mention we saw over ten turtles consisting of different species. I would never do a GLA program twice because they offer so many more around the world, but if I did, it would definitely be this one.

Saying I loved my GLA experience is an understatement. I would say it has been my most life-changing, impactful and unique experience to date, and I find myself reminiscing and reflecting on it often. I was reluctant to go at first, I’d never travelled alone or been to South America, I wasn’t a sleepaway camp kid either, so this was very out of my comfort zone. From the very first dinner we had together, my leaders were welcoming, supportive, and authentic, they made me feel so included and comfortable with a new and unfamiliar environment. My local leader was knowledgeable about the area, and answered all the questions I had which allowed me to have a new perspective on my environment. Throughout the 2 weeks I was on the program, we spent 4 days in clinics, shadowing medical professionals, visited Machu Picchu, went whitewater rafting, and explored Cusco. My favourite part was the clinic days, although I wish we could’ve done more than just 4 days. This was where I could do my most hands-on work, and see the impact I was making in real time. Connecting with patients I was treating - despite our linguistic and cultural differences – was so special, it truly changed my life. While I was initially worried about the language barrier, I was quickly shocked at how easy it became to collaborate with others despite linguistic barriers. The doctors and patients were flexible and patient with me, and tried their best to help me when I was confused. At the end of the 2 weeks, I was shocked at the amount of spanish I had learned, including complex medical related phrases too! When I got home I was able to show off my skills to my whole family who were all pleasantly shocked at how much I’d learned. I also had the wonderful opportunity to spend lots of time with the children of the villages, who were so funny and kind. They welcomed us into their homes so graciously, played games with us, and gave me the most loving goodbye hug I’ve ever received. Talk about amazing, Machu Picchu was breathtaking. We had a knowledgeable guide to share his insight with us, which made the experience so unique and special. On our journey to Machu Picchu, we got to explore the towns of Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes. On top of all the amazing planned experiences, we also had plenty of time to explore Cusco and all it has to offer. Some evenings, if we weren’t too tired from the day’s activities, we would go on a walk around the city. We wandered the streets, markets, and town square. These activities gave me time to bond with others in my group, and build friendships. Some of my favourite memories come from these impromptu outings. In 2 short weeks, I made some of the best friends I’ve ever had, and to this day I wear a matching bracelet bought at San Pedro, Cusco’s famous market, with my best friend from the program. I am endlessly grateful for the learning, growth, and experience I had with GLA, it was truly life-changing in the best way possible.

When I first got there I had no doubt that I was going to have an amazing time. All the staff made it so fun and a safe environment. I had a good session with everyone there. The volunteering was incredibly rewarding and amazing because the got to see the smiles on peoples’ faces. The adventure days were so fun and exhilarating. Overall my trip through GLA was life changing and amazing I had a great time in Costa Rica and can’t wait for my next trip