GSE Team Member Melissa - Oi!

It's been a few years since I've traveled outside of the country, and I'm surprised to be feeling so nervous about it! There was a time when it was unnerving to not have been outside the country for longer than a year, but my life has changed a lot since those days; I have a husband, a house, and a menagerie of furry family members that I'm leaving behind. I've become a complacent creature of habit! So, let's put an end to that, shall we?

I stumbled upon the GSE program by sheer luck. I was looking at the Rotary District 6250's website for scholarship opportunities for my upcoming studies, and clicked the "Like" button to like them on Facebook. On their page, a photo of a Brazil coastline caught my eye, and I read about the search for candidates for the GSE program. Less than an hour later I was on the phone with Tom and a couple weeks after that, I was interviewing! It's funny how life ties things together in ways you don't expect.

As Karen notes in her intro, we've had a few months to get to know each other. I can't imagine a better mix of people to be traveling with. We all have different personalities and strengths, but all share a love of experiencing new cultures and going beyond our comfort zones. I'm looking forward to experiencing Brazil from their perspectives in addition to my own.

For some background, I'm currently working in the administration office of a public school district (Oregon School District), where I'm the assistant to the Director of Instruction. We've made some amazing gains in how the district's curriculum is organized and planned, and we've been able to share it with the public, too! My personal interest is in the area of mental health, and I'll be taking courses on counseling starting this summer after my return from Brazil. I'm hoping to use my understanding of the Brazilian culture and their approaches to caring for the members of their society to better understand how we can help people from other cultures who live here in the U.S.

I'm also a huge fan of flora and fauna, and my biggest hope is that I get to explore some of Brazil's parks and observe all creatures great and small in their natural habitat. My cameras are ready to go! (Yes, I'm taking two, just in case!)

I'm thankful for being on this last GSE trip, and hope that Rotary finds a new program that will be as well-coordinated and enriching as this one has been so far and will continue to be. Without the program, I don't believe I would have ever been able to make this amazing trip.

Obrigada, Rotary!
Melissa

Gregory will be holding down the fort in my absence