Some 35 percent of our 32, 000 alumni volunteers have served on previous programs. Lori is a particularly loyal Poland volunteer, and over her 30-plus service programs, she’s formed relationships with several of the same students year after year. Her reflections as a Global Volunteer alumnus are excerpted from the team journal.
I’m fortunate to have met so many great kids in Poland. Now in the second decade of the 21st century, we have fun with Facebook chats when we’re separated by 6000+ kilometers. For example, Olas wrote recently: Good afternoon Mrs. Lori. I miss you in Poland. When are you coming to Reymontówka? Earlier, Alex wrote: Hello Lorene. Me and my schoolmate, we work on project. It’s sort historical and social project. So maybe you would be interested.” Last year, Kacper wrote: “I learning English hard because I would like going to camp.”
I enjoy helping the students who contact me to practice their English throughout the year!
At this year’s summer camp, I recognized some of the campers when we met. Two years ago they were little girls and now they stood 4-6 inches taller than me. I said, “Either you are getting taller or I am getting shorter.” From behind me, a boy piped up, “It’s true, Lori, you are getting shorter.”
I was delighted, and remembered that we are not here to teach conversational English only. As Global Volunteers alumni, we use the “work” – in this case teaching – to form relationships between people of different countries and these informal conversations remind me that the goal of relationships has been established!
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