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Hi there! I was born in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, where I grew up with my older sister, Arlene, and my parents who moved to the US from Punjab, India after an arranged marriage there. I love having a mix of both Indian and 'American ' culture, and being able to relate to aspects of both cultures when I travel. The last time I was in India was for my cousin's wedding. My family lives in a small village, so the wedding was very traditional. For the first ceremony, all the streets in the village were closed, and my cousin was on a beautiful white horse decorated in red and orange carnations. The entire party on his side followed behind him as his horse led us to the temple. When we reached the temple, I got to feed the horse first since I was the youngest cousin, and than we all went over to the bride's parents' house for a pre-wedding reception where the bride's friends performed classical Indian dances. When we got back from our trip, I begged my mom to sign me up for Indian dance classes, they were so much fun! A good friend of mine in high school was an exchange student from Lisbon, and she invited me to visit her in Portugal the summer after we graduated. I took my sister along and we ended up backpacking around Western Europe for two months. I fell in love with Sevilla, Spain and wanted to learn Spanish better so that I could immerse myself fully in the culture. I began college at the University of Michigan (go blue!) when we returned from our backpacking trip, and decided to major in Spanish and Economics. Traveling in the Dominican Republic, I became fluent in Spanish mostly through interviewing women in villages of the Jarabacoa Mountains about health and nutrition. This is where my interest in Public Health began and I began to open my eyes to all the health disparities there are in the world. I worked with Animadoras ' local health workers ' in the villages and we went door to door giving vaccinations to the kids and offering health advice to their mothers. It was an empowering experience, and the following summer I went to Ecuador to volunteer at a government health clinic. While I wasn't volunteering or learning about health issues, I was dancing! I learned the basics of merengue and salsa in the Dominican Republic, and got to practice my moves with my host family in Ecuador! I love dancing and it has opened up a world of possibilities for interacting with people when I travel. I spent six months in Sevilla, Spain, where I met an awesome group of volunteers who walked around the city on weekday nights to offer café con leche and conversation and company to the homeless people there. I joined up with them and got to go on retreats with their volunteer group all around Spain, which was a great cheap way to travel and learn about Spanish culture. When I graduated from Michigan, I moved to Santa Cruz, CA and worked at a health clinic in Salinas, the 'Lettuce Capital of the World. ' Besides learning how to make great salads, I joined a Salsa Rueda (Cuban salsa) dance team, took a ceramics class, and tried out surfing! I also volunteered as a Spanish-English translator at a free clinic, and became really interested in health care policy and immigration. Now, I'm studying to get my Masters in international health policy at Harvard, and enjoying the dance scene in Boston. I spent the month of January in Santiago de Chile studying health reform, hanging out with Chilean medical students, dancing at Salsatecas, and eating great seafood! The combination was too perfect! Right now I'm working on our school's International Night Cultural Show which will feature food, music and dancing from around the world! I love trying out new foods, people watching, and most of all, traveling and making friends from all different backgrounds!! I have had such wonderful experiences traveling and volunteering abroad, and I am very excited about facilitating other peoples' experiences as a volunteer coordinator with Globe Aware.
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Tom is a native of Illinois and now resides in Atlanta. Prior to Atlanta, he has lived in Panama, Barcelona, Indianapolis, Virginia, and the Chicago area. He has traveled extensively in Central and South America as well as Europe. Tom has visited more than twenty countries in his travels. Tom graduated from Northern Illinois University with degrees in Economics and Political Science. He worked for eight years in management for both a large grocery retailer and a financial service company. After these years working in the private sector Tom decided make a career change. In 2000, Tom joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to the Small Business Sector in a rural community in central Panama, were he lived and worked for two years. He extended a third year with the Peace Corps to work as a Volunteer Coordinator in the business sector at a national level. Tom is currently employed by the Peace Corps in Atlanta.
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I am from Dallas, Texas and am 25 years old. Currently I work as an interpreter at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. I interpret for Spanish speaking families. It is really a joy meeting so many beautiful children. I get to go to all different departments of the hospital, learning about different treatments and procedures. It can also be a sad experience as many children unfortunately pass away. In July I will begin medical school in San Antonio, Texas. I would like to work in field of international public health in the developing nations of Africa, Latin America, and Asia. I love to travel to new countries, learning about their people and land. Recently I finished a Masters in Public Health from Texas A&M University. As part of this degree I did public health internships in Mexico and Dominican Republic. Previously as an undergraduate in Biomedical Science also a Texas A&M, I did an internship in Nicaragua. I have also been to El Salvador for 10 days. I'm leading Globe Aware Programs in Peru and Costa Rica. My interests are in traveling, reading, and dancing Salsa and Meringue.
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Saphire Stockman
Saphire is recent graduate of the University of Kansas, where she received her Bachelor's in Women's Studies with a co-major of International Studies in Latin America. She first traveled to Costa Rica in 2011 to spend a semester studying at the University of Costa Rica, and returned to live there in May of 2012.
She is from Kansas City, Kansas, and her parents and older brother live there. In her free time Saphire loves dancing, painting, traveling and refereeing soccer. She loves languages and in addition to English she speaks Spanish and is fluent in ASL (American Sign Language), and she is currently studying Portuguese. More importantly, she loves to have fun, which is always better while helping people!
"Saphire exceeded my expectations. It was clear that the people of the community love her and treat her as a member of their own community. Her commitment to the mission of your organization and to ensuring a positive experience for her guests cannot be overstated. Bravo Saphire! Bravo Globe Aware!" - Geoff Morrison, March 2013.
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Somphone Keomany, also known as "Kelvin," has been working with Globe Aware since 2006. He became our lead coordinator in the spring of 2008. Kelvin is extremely well connected in the Luang Prabang area, and has no shortage of project opportunities for volunteers. He is extremely gracious, and loves helping visitors get to know Laos better. In his spare time, Kelvin offers mountain bike tours around Laos, and he also drives a tuk-tuk. He has a wife and a 4 year-old son named Kelvin.
"The people in Lao are very kind, polite and generous. I love how they are very social and in the villages ther eis much socializing and eating together. They are a real community in every sense of the word." - Diane Favia, February 2012
I cannot speak more highly of the respect I have for Kelvin. He was prompt, educational and articulate. He has such a gift with the children and was of great assistance helping me assess the children's competence of English prior to leaving me in a classroom of smiley faces and eagerness. Thank you to everyone at Globe Aware for being responsible for changing people's lives for the better and I love your offsetting of carbon emission charter." - Margaret Wishart, October 2010
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Rocio
¡Hola! My name is Rocio and I was born and grew up in Cusco, Peru and I currently live in San Sebastian, Cusco, with the kids of the Albergue. I’m the youngest of 2 brothers and one sister. Since 8 years ago I have been living in the Albergue where I help working with kids and also serve time in the office because I also have skills as a secretary, accountant and information specialist. I speak Spanish as my first language, Quechua (I learned when I was a child with my grandmother, but now I practice with the kids of the Albergue) and English (I learned 3 years ago studying in a language center). I have worked in a High School teaching English where my students speak more Quechua than Spanish. It is interesting and gratifying work helping kids that need so much. I enjoy listening to different kinds of music, I love dances, and I enjoy helping our special community kids. I’m waiting for you in the Albergue!
"Rocio made this trip so special. You can see how much the children adore her and she loves the,. She went out of her way to show us not onlyl the sites, but to giveus a glimpse into the culture. We went to Palm Sunday Mass, the procession of Senor de los Temblores, markets, a home for dinner, and a student's home to help make a clay stove. She is a special person." - Donna Kaylor, March 2013
"Rocio did a great job of showing us around. Our time was maximized. Rocio does a wonderful job of caring for the kids and ensuring that they learn and gain valuable skills. We were graciously welcomed by all those we encountered" - Jeff Roberts, March 2013
"I had more than enough free time, the food was great (many thanks to señora Alicia!). During my free time I went to beautiful places, all well arranged by the volunteer coordinator (Rocio)." -Marta Carvalheiro, September 2012
"Rocio was great at providing context and information. Fernando and Rocio really tried to give us what we wanted. We got to see the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu thanks to them." - Volunteer, August 2012
"Rocio was an amazing conduit to the Andean culture." - Astrid Hagen, June 2012
"Everyone in the albergue made me feel welcome in their hearts and their home." April McCarthy-Morgan, April 2012
"I thought our local program coordinator, Rocio, was remarkable." Nicole Rubin, November 2011
"I was surprised at how close I felt to Rocio, the program director. She works so hard and is so much to so many people!" - Aimee Little, November 2011
"Rocio went out of her way to make sure that we saw the sights of Cusco. She was awesome and so were all of the others that we worked with." - Melissa Klein, June 2011
"The best part of the trip was meeting the children and Rocio." - Claudia B. Geiger, April 2011
"After an hour of knowing Rocio, we instantly felt what was important to her was worth anything. Rocio was very informative about everything we had planned each day." - Kate Watts, September 2010
"Rocio was a fantastic and patient host." - Volunteer, June 2010
"The children and the staff members that work in the home are so humble and their hospitality was such a blessing to my life." - Angelina Semino, May 2010
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Gilda
Hello! My name is Gilda. I am married with three children, two of whom are grown up and have since moved away from El Sur. I like English very much and understand best when people speak slowly. My childhood in El Sur was beautiful, with my parents and three brothers. My favorite hobbies are to read, write and knit. I have been an active member of EcoSur for fifteen years, and as a group we have been receiving Globe Aware volunteers for the past six of those years. I am looking forward to being the Globe Aware coordinator in El Sur so I can share still more time with volunteers. ¡Pura Vida!
"Gilda is very nice and friendly. She makes you feel safe and feel like at home. She understands and speaks English well." - Cathy Toribio, August 2012
"The people in El Sur were incredible, gracious, patient, I cannot say enough. We were welcomed with open arms by all the families. Gilda, Mario, Ronald and their families were particularly amazing." - James Quackenbush, August 2012
"Gilda is the most incredible coordinator. She is very well organized, very caring and fun to be with! She thinks of everything. Our time with her couldn't have been better." - Michelle Maloney, March 2012
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Federico
Federico is a Costa Rica native with over 10 years experience in the hospitality industry. He has been actively involved with the International Meditation Association for more than 10 years, and has traveled extensively volunteering with them. Federico is experienced with computer systems and support, as well as water infrastructure, vehicle mechanics, and cooking. Vietnamese, Thai, Italian, Mexican, and Chinese are among his favorite cuisines, his love for nature and animals have made him a Lacto-Vegetarian for more than 15 years. He also loves sports, the ocean and all water sports.
"Federico is a good cook and the meals provided by the local family were also good. We made excellent use of free time. Also, I wasn't afraid to ask for some time to just relax." Mary Lou Bernardo, November 2012
"Federico is one of the nicest people I've ever met. He made my experience so much more enjoyable and I thought he handled everything very well. Thank you Globe Aware, Federico, my class that I got to work with, and the people of El Sur. You guys are awesome." - Julia Jones, June 2012
"I was in Parismina with Federico - he was always helping right alongside with us." - Volunteer, February 2012
" Our in-country host, Federico Herrera, was knowledgeable, committed, low-anxiety and very pleasant to work and live with for 8 days." - Walter Tennyson, April 2010
"Our guide, Federico was fabulous. He knows the place and the people very well." - Lynn McMahon, May 2010
