2015 Fellows
costa rica
Julio Burgos
“A great leader has to listen to other leaders. You can’t lead just because you think you are a leader. You have to be patient and also skillful.”
De’Kovi Green
“This experience changed me. It broadened my perspective. It made me want to travel more. I am now more optimistic about my ability to change people’s lives. My experience made me want to inspire other kids and change their lives as well.”
Gabriela Iglesias-Ramesar
“Leadership is not only achieved by taking initiative, but also by being open to learning from new people. I learned so much from the kids at Colegio Nosara. It was just an amazing experience.”
Edward Leonard
“A great leader knows when to follow, when to let others lead, and when to let other people step in front and express their leadership qualities.”
Kaela Makins
“Serving as a leader in someone else’s community requires you to understand what you can provide, what you can teach them, and what they can teach you. It is extremely important to understand how they work and how they operate, including their language and their culture.”
Jesus Mendoza
“This experience has made me become more caring. In Costa Rica, the people we met do not have as much as we have in the US. It was an eye-opener. I realized that I should not take things for granted.”
Dwight Spencer
“This experience has changed me for the good. Never in a million years would I think of going to Costa Rica, doing community service work and actually coming out revived and renewed with helping the community for the betterment of everyone.”
Judelka St. Fort
“I have learned that being a leader doesn’t mean one should always be first. You can be last and still be a leader. You change people. You help. You always stand by them and help them improve themselves. Help them be better people.”
Parvati Santos
“I learned throughout the process of painting a mural at the Colegio Nosara that leadership is not dictatorship. A leader does not work solo. It’s about a community of people working together and being able to listen to each other.”