Participant: Holly Herman

Hola! Me llamo Holly! I am 18 years old and I have an interesting birthday because I was born on Christmas. Currently I am a senior at City High, which is a charter high school in Downtown Pittsburgh. My high school is unique compared to surrounding schools. A majority of the public schools in the area have a school day that begins at 7 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. Many of the seniors in these public schools are allowed to leave around noon, or after they complete their core class which includes math, science, English, and history. Also a public school year begins in September and ends in June, giving the students the summer off. At City High things are a lot different! Every month besides December, April, and August, I wake up at 6 a.m. to pick out an outfit that will meet the requirements of my school’s business casual dress code.  Once I l finish getting ready, I catch public transportation in time to arrive at school by 8 a.m. Once I am seated in class I must stay the full eight hours until 4 pm. The only exception was when I had my required internship, which allowed me to leave at noon.  Now that senior year is coming to an end, I am excited for my future. In the fall I am moving to Meadville, Pennsylvania to attend Allegheny in the fall to pursue a bachelor degree in engineering and a minor in environmental studies. Once I graduate from Allegheny I plan on attending Columbia University for my Masters Degree.  I want to pursue these degrees because I have always been good at math and I am extremely interested, passionate, and involved in community service projects.

My involvement in community service is one of the reasons why I want to go on this trip. In the past, I have been involved with numerous volunteer activities such as SCA CLC program, SCA National Crew, and Urban EcoStewards. By analyzing the work I have done with these organizations and the impact it has on a community, I realized that volunteering is something I deeply enjoy and want to continue as I get older. By participating in this program, I will be able to continue helping others not only in my community but across the globe. Also, I want to go on this trip because it will allow me to explore a different country as well as allow me to make lifelong memories with some of my closest friends before we part are ways and head off to different colleges.

The biggest personal challenge that will make this experience difficult for me is being away from my little brother, Logan. Logan and I are very close and if I’m not at school or work then my time is devoted to him. I’ve been away before so I know I can overcome the time apart, but I won’t be easy. Also, it will make it easier when I get to contact home while we are away. Another minor concern for me is flying. I have never been on an airplane before and because of this I have anxiety about flying for the first time.

During this trip I am going to take advantage of every opportunity and gain all that I can. From this trip, I hope t gain a sense of what it is like to like in a culture that is not as privileged as the United States. I am also excited to gain experience being away from home. This will be a huge advantage when I leave for college in the fall. Finally I hope to gain memories that I discuss and share with others.