My favourite travel memory is probably from a holiday to Greece with my family. One day, my dad and I hired a car and just drove into the country beyond the typical tourist spots and spent a day exploring local communities and eating in local restaurants. I love really immersing myself in other cultures and getting beyond the tourist hot spots, so that was a great day for me.
Staff Spotlight: Christin Prüstel
Title:
Senior Digital Marketing OfficerPhotos
Christin studied Tourism in Germany and Denmark before starting work in the high-end luxury tourism market. Looking to change into meaningful travel, she joined Raleigh International as the Senior Digital Marketing Officer and is eager to encourage young people from around the world to join an Expedition and make a real sustainable difference.
What is your favorite travel memory?
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
Since working for Raleigh International, I have grown so much as a person. The people at Raleigh really care about the world and are all immensely passionate and inspiring people. I’ve become more accepting, educated and empowered since joining and I love how our Expeditions have the same effect on so many young people, showing them the issues they care about and equipping them with the skills and resilience to want to make a change.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
One student told of how whilst living with her host family she noticed her host brothers didn’t regularly go to school. Outside of the regular Expedition activities, she took the time to educate them about the value of school and personally brought them to and from school whenever she could. By the end, they had started attending school regularly. I think it shows how much of a difference even the smallest steps can make.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
I’d love to join a Nepal Expedition. I’ve never been to Asia, therefore the surroundings and people in Nepal are the most intriguing to me. There is also the opportunity to live with a local host family and potentially take part in one of their many festivals, meaning you really get to immerse yourself in the culture. In addition to this, I am inspired by the impact of the work we do there helping to alleviate the devastation that still exists in rural communities in Nepal due to the earthquake in 2015, as well as working on menstrual hygiene management with local women.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
Our Expedition programme is unique because we really focus on developing individual young people as future leaders. Not only do we seek to maximize the impact we have in the local communities, but also to create lasting change in the young volunteers that join our Expeditions. We help them develop their skills and find the things they are passionate about, with the hope that when they return they will continue to make a difference and become compelling young leaders taking charge of global issues.
I’m proud of all the stories we hear from our alumni that continue to try to create change after their Expedition, including from those who went away with some of our very first Expeditions. It shows what an incredible experience a Raleigh Expedition is and how it can truly change your life for a long time.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
I think the biggest factor in any company is its people. If the people within an organization are passionate about the work of their company, they will always go the extra mile and their enthusiasm will translate to their clients as well. Seeing how passionate the people at Raleigh are about its work and how this, in turn, inspires young people who go away with us, has made me realize the importance of this.