By Katherine Camberg

Many of us had fun summers, but junior Charlotte McIntosh had an especially adventurous summer. She participated in the Global Leadership Abroad (GLA) program, which is linked to the Peace Corps. Through GLA, she travelled to Thailand where she volunteered and helped take care of elephants for two-and-a-half weeks. While she was abroad, she learned about the Thai culture and language, completed service projects, took care of elephants, and had many adventures in the jungle.

During a typical day in the program, she would wake up early and take care of the elephant first thing in the morning. She would then complete a daily service project and would have leisure time. In the afternoon and evenings, the group participated in outdoor activities such as hiking and rafting and visited local markets. At night the group stayed in bungalow style dorms. The program offered a mix of fun adventures and volunteer service.

GLA is available to all high school students, but Charlotte recommends that those interested wait until junior or senior year to participate because you need to be quite independent and mature. The application is not hard to complete, and the program is looking for participants so it is not selective. Charlotte says she recommends the program to TPA students because it was such a fun experience and is the perfect amount of time for a summer program.

Charlotte learned a lot through her trip to Thailand. One of her favorite take-aways from the trip was a new appreciation for Thai culture, which she really loves. She says she also gained a new sense of independence and adventure. Overall, the program is an amazing opportunity to travel abroad and do volunteer service.