The Evolution of Engagement: Reflecting on Service Academy’s Journey
It was a mural on a schoolyard wall in rural Costa Rica that changed everything. We had traveled there with a group from St. George’s, paintbrushes in hand and good intentions in our hearts. The plan was simple: beautify the school, make a difference, return home with photos and stories. But something unexpected happened when […]
Ryan: Gap Year Reflections
I recently read César Hidalgo’s book, “Why Information Grows.” In it, Hidalgo builds up a new interpretation of social and economic systems based on physical properties, particularly information. He splits this concept into two fundamental ideas: knowledge, the theoretical understanding of things, and know-how, the practical ability to implement ideas in the real world. His […]
Beyond the Startup Dream: How Vrygrond Redefined My Understanding of Entrepreneurship
Driving to my first day of work as an intern focusing on entrepreneurship at the SOZO Foundation, a nonprofit founded in Cape Town in 2011, I witnessed a reality that felt hard to comprehend. Vrygrond, one of the oldest townships in Cape Town and home to almost forty thousand people, is unlike anything I had […]
What Does Community Look Like?
‘Community’ is a word that appears everywhere: school programming, mission statements, and on the website of the very program I am in right now. At St. George’s, it was gospel, both literally and figuratively, and here on my gap year, it’s both a promise to live and a puzzle to unlock. However, it wasn’t until […]
Why Caring Follows Engagement, Not the Other Way Around: Lessons from a Ski Instructor
The Dutch boy, taking off his skis, sitting in the snow, would do nothing but shake his head. He sat silent as the other instructor and I looked at each other, trying to figure out what to do next. The kid was physically present but completely checked out. Little did I know that this reluctant […]
Thomas: What I’m Studying in College (And Why)
Making major life decisions is scary. The sheer volume of options—careers, classes, majors, minors, internships—is intimidating for even the most prepared, capable people. Each choice I make inherently starves other possibilities. The weight of this, when combined with the seeming permanence of these decisions and my uncertainty about what a career really means, becomes nauseating. […]
From the Slopes to Social Impact: Our Ski Instructor Training Adventure
Have you ever considered how learning to teach a skill could make you a better leader and changemaker? We’ve just completed our 10-week ski instructor training program in the Swiss Alps, and throughout this experience, we’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be a good mentor and a good mentee — and […]
From Youth Service to Social Impact: Service Academy’s Evolving Mission
Can a simple act of service spark a lifelong commitment to social change? And if so, can it empower the next generation of changemakers? The answer is yes. At Service Academy, we’ve witnessed this transformation firsthand, and it’s inspired us to evolve our mission. We’ve always believed in the power of young people to create positive […]
Adventure as a Medium: Lessons from 40 Days in the Himalayas
The Many Faces of Adventure Adventure is an expression of self-identity. A man of shorter stature, made up for this many times over by his commanding presence and easy confidence, has been guiding NOLS courses in these mountains for almost 15 years now. His deadpan humor, I-can’t-tell-if-you’re-joking-or-not sarcasm, and sagelike knowledge have led him through […]
What Do the Next Few Years Look Like?
“What do you want to study in college?” For years, my answer to that question was vague but simple: “Whatever helps me understand and tackle big problems and feel fulfilled along the way.” But as college quickly approaches, I’ve had to get more specific about how my college experience can actually equip me to tackle […]