One of the great ways to get
involved at Forhdam is through Global Outreach (GO!). Global Outreach organizes
international and domestic cultural immersion and service trips that take place
over winter break, spring break, and during the summer. The program is based off of four pillars: simple living, spirituality, social justice, and community. These pillars are the framework surrounding
the GO! experience. Trips are are made
up of a leader, a chaperone, and ten members.
During the November of my
sophomore year, I decided to apply to GO! domestic projects that would travel
over spring break, and it has proved to be one of the best decisions I have
made here at Fordham. I was accepted
onto the Detroit team. The Detroit project focused on “economic disaster
recovery relief work.” My team had weekly meetings to get to know each other, and
learn about Detroit and work we could be doing there. In addition to meetings, we had fundraisers,
a retreat and met with everyone one-on-one. By the time we left for our trip in March, we were already a strong,
supportive community that was prepared and excited for our trip.
We spent ten days in Detroit doing service work, going
on cultural outings, like a trip to the Motown Museum and the Detroit Institute
of Art, and connecting with the people of Detroit. At the end of the trip, my team had become a
really close-knit group. An amazing part
of the GO! experience is that it does not end once you return to Fordham. My team still keeps in touch and has
reunions.
A motto that my team had
during our trip was “participate, don’t anticipate.” We used this as a reminder to be open-minded
to whatever experiences or challenges we might encounter. I encourage new
students to be excited and willing to step out of their comfort zone and participate
during their time at Fordham and get involved with Global Outreach!
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