Tom and I are back in Buenos Aires after flying from NYC to Atlanta, bumming around the airport for eight hours, then flying through the night to Ezeiza, the BA airport. Just before landing, we were all given surgical masks and instructed to wear them when we deplaned and throughout our time in the airport. Too bad they didn’t give instructions on how to wear them–many were inside out or upside down. There have been four recent swine flu (H1N1) ) deaths in Argentina recently and they are not taking any chances.
Or, well, not as many, any way. When we got off the plane, they had the scanner reading our body temperature. But once we hit customs, we realized that the other passengers from other flights did not wear masks. Hmm. Not such a consistent policy. Maybe it was only for those coming from the U.S.?
Who knows. Hey, it’s Argentina, and I love it. It’s good to be home.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Alaina Zulli here in New York. Alaina is one of the students featured in the book and shares her story of going on a year-long high school exchange to Ukraine.
Alaina’s story is a little unusual, but I really wanted to include it to show that it’s not just the popular, confident, “star” kids who benefit from going abroad. By her own admission, Alaina was an “extremely shy and lonely” student in high school before her exchange. But when she returned, she had been transformed by her experience: she became the confident, popular girl and even had her first boyfriend! Many students who study abroad during their junior year of high school feel disconnected when they come back–they’re just not interested in the social stuff and prefer to segue into college. But there are plenty of cases like Alaina’s in which a student who didn’t really “fit” in high school returns from exchange and enjoys high school for the first time!
I’m so proud of Alaina and the life she has created for herself as a freelance costume designer in New York. She credits her exchange with giving her the confidence to pursue her interests and design her own creative life. This is something that shows up quite frequently among former high school exchange students–they tend to be clear about their interests and excited about continuing their learning in their own way.
Last Sunday, Tom and I had the pleasure of attending the wedding of Gabrielle Wallace, one of the students featured in The New Global Student. Gabi started taking college courses at 15, earned her GED at 16 so that she could enroll full-time in college. She designed her own study abroad program in the Dominican Republic and had a great experience for a fraction of what the university programs cost. After graduating at 20, she spent a month in Brazil, then a year in Japan teaching English through the JET program. When she returned to the US, she got a job teaching Spanish at a Jewish Orthodox high school in Boston. There, she met Pedro Odom, the science and math teacher from Brazil who was also the soccer coach. They fell in love, celebrated their wedding and are now surfing in Hawaii on their honeymoon. Gabi will soon begin her master’s program in education/ESL at Boston University, thanks to a scholarship. She’s a great example of how bold schoolers are getting a ragin’ education on their own terms and time lines–and without debt.
Tom and I had a great time at WBUR’s studio in Boston yesterday doing NPR’s fastest-growing talk show, “On Point”
with Tom Ashbrook. It was live and is presented by more than 150 NPR affiliates across the country! You can listen to the recorded show here .
It was a great experience all around–the producers were so excited about our story and really made us feel welcome, and the host couldn’t have been more charming. The callers were beyond civil (perhaps the harsh critics were screened out!) and in fact, many just wanted to call and share their own story of students gone global. We just sat back and let ourselves be validated. Nothing like others’ success stories to reinforce the notion that going abroad is an incredibly beneficial learning experience!
I received many, many personal emails–some during the show!–including many from students who are very interested in going abroad but whose parents are worried about sending them. For many, the money is the perceived obstacle. Once we point out that it costs A LOT to raise a sixteen-year-old here in the US and that many families can actually SAVE THOUSANDS of dollars while their kid is having the most important year of their lives abroad, parents start coming around. Most parents who claim they don’t have enough money to send their student abroad make far more than we do (we’ve been firmly planted in the mid-five figures for several years) and have fewer kids–it’s more about priorities than cash. In addition, it’s important to note that many students in the book who share their stories about their exchange or college study abroad came from low-income families and received scholarships that funded their experiences.
When it comes to going abroad, the biggest obstacle is not lack of money–it’s lack of information and imagination. Learn the facts, imagine the possibilities, and then get out there and play!
I had NO IDEA that Greg Toppo’s article about my book in USA Today would be so big! The online version seems much smaller–you can read it here. But the paper version–it’s half a page!
My book got a rave review in yesterday’s (Sunday’s) issue of The Boston Globe! It was described as “Funny, innovative and meaningful, ….a how-to guide with heart.”
“Skip the SAT” is part of my book’s subtitle, and though there are circumstances under which students must prepare for and do their best on the SAT/ACT (getting into an Ivy, say) the truth is that these tests are becoming less important in terms of college admissions.
In this short video, I have a chat with Bob Schaeffer, the spokesperson for FairTest. Bob offers some great insight in the book and gives us some reassuring information in the video. After that, I take you on a little tour of the college reference guide section at the Borders off Columbus Circle here in New York. Come along with me–and learn about how to skip the SAT…..
I’ve been corresponding with venture capitalist/entrepreneur Bob Compton for the last couple of years, and we have our own little mutual admiration society. I found his first documentary, “Two Million Minutes,” to be a very important wake-up call about the U.S. approach to education and mentioned it in my book. He read an early copy of my book and offered a great endorsement, and when it turned out that he was screening his new film, “Win in China,” here in New York, we made plans to meet.
Yesterday, Tom and I met Bob at the Regency for breakfast and stimulating conversation about education and entrepreneurship, then attended the premiere of “Win in China” at the Asia Society last night. The film describes the explosion in entrepreneurship in China and features the development and broadcasting of the popular television series in China that is similar to “The Apprentice” here. What’s different: the winners in the Chinese version don’t get a job with Donald Trump but a $1.5 million cash investment in their own business and mentoring from China’s most successful entrepreneurs.
Another difference: reach and scale. The numbers in China are mind-boggling. And while “The Apprentice” might be a fun romp for business wannabes and pop culture fans, “Win in China” reflects that fact that MILLIONS of Chinese individuals are receiving training and all kinds of governmental support to help them start their own businesses. The show has inspired countless entrepreneurs of all ages to consider ways in which they can develop their ideas and compete to make their own mark in the global economy. Those who still insist that Asian business people are somehow lagging behind the US in innovation and entrepreneurship are in for a very big surprise indeed.
I grabbed a quick moment after the screening to talk with Bob about why we should see this film. Anyone with an interest in entrepreneurship, Asia, and the global economy in general should see it, and if you’ve got kids entering the working world in the next couple of decades, it should be required viewing. Learn more by visiting http://www.wininchinamovie.com
After nearly a year and a half of working together virtually, it was such a thrill to finally meet my editor, Heather Proulx! Tom and I had breakfast with her across the street from the Random House building and then went upstairs to check out the publishing premises–always nice to have a visual so I can picture her when we correspond in the future!
In this short video, Heather tells why my initial proposal was so compelling to her personally and shares her story of “swirling”–attending more than one college before earning a diploma. I’m a big fan of swirling and more importantly, paying attention to what’s not fulfilling. Cheers to you, Heather, for seeing your best education options clearly!
Nothing like others’ success stories to reinforce the notion that going abroad is an incredibly beneficial learning experience! 
