Program Reviews

TBB is unlike any other gap year program out there. Through this year I have learned more about myself and about the world than I ever thought possible. TBB taught me about development, identity, and more and it's hands-down the best gap year program you could go on. This gap year was very challenging and could be hard at times, but I learned so much and made friends for a lifetime. Being away from home for so long had made me feel better prepared for college than I ever was before.

My daughter just returned from the south America semester and I was impressed at how the program was handled and what the participates accomplished. I am so glad my daughter had this opportunity. Everyone she met has helped her grow in so many ways. I know she plans to keep in touch with members of TBB and hopes to do more with them. We were able to maintain some contact as well as read a blog she established. The program really expands a student's outlook of the world.

Before leaving for my 3 month adventure I was nervous that I wouldn't grow and change as a person , but now I look back and I'm happy to say that I become a more aware and culturally immersed person. TBB creates such a amazing and supportive community! I have so many positive memories from just these three months abroad. I'm still in awe of how much I have grown and flourished because of TBB! I would recommend it to anyone!

I chose Thinking Beyond Borders because I wanted to be challenged in a new way intellectually, physically and emotionally. All of these aspects were met and I had an amazing time. I was challenged to think about development and global issues in new ways and was pushed beyond my comfort zone in many circumstances. TBB offered amazing support from the program leaders and from our on site resources. Although at times I felt that our projects were not giving to the community as much as I hoped, I gained a lot from all of my experiences. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone searching to learn about development and the global world and about yourself.

I just came back and miss it already. I learned so much about development, made great friends in and out of our group, and reexamined myself in the process. The great thing about this program is that it isn't a gap year semester where go to South America and pretend to "save the world." TBB acknowledged that we would gain more than we gave and really looked at volunteering through a critical lens. I would not have gained the same knowledge if I had just gone to a school to teach English. We all asked ourselves why they needed to learn English in the first place. It was also just so fun! My host families were amazing and everyone should do the program!

At first, the main reason for me going on the program was to fill my free time for the Fall. My impression was that I would be part of a group of students that would just travel around, live with families and be involved in weekly seminars discussing readings and local issues. The program was far more than that. I came out of it with a greater understanding of what it means to be an agent of change and how much more incentive I have to pursue my goals for college. I've never been able to say that I 100% fully appreciate every experience I went through, every person I met, and all of my volunteer work that made an impact. I'm walking away from this program with much greater knowledge on what goes on outside of my world. Thinking Beyond Borders is a very special program that opened up my eyes to reality and the developing world.

TBB definitely changed my life. Studying sustainable agriculture in Thailand was magical, and working with students in India was truly an amazing, once in a lifetime experience. I would recommend this for any student looking to take a gap year

TBB gives you an opportunity to travel and reflect on the impact you're making. This isn't a service trip, and it's not an adventurous trek. It's a meaningful learning space where you get to know the people around you and yourself on a level you couldn't even imagine before leaving for the trip.

My experience with TBB has been the best thing that has ever happened to me and I know that a lot of my new friends and family can say the same. The hardships you see, experience and live in, along with the liberating education you receive, is un imaginable until you have done it, and for each person it is different and unique. What I love about TBB is that, it is an environment setup for personal growth, that way you can help the growth of the planet. You become aware of many new things in your self as well as your role here on Earth and with other people. Now that my trip is done, I miss the people I was with and I miss the community feeling that we had between the 20 of us. The last thing I will add, is that I did not choose this trip for personal growth, I wanted to travel and learn. But the most important part of my trip turned out to be that TBB gave me a space to process and see the importance of reflection and talking about events that taken place in my life. If you don't take time to process and discuss what is going on, you never truly learn the lessons that life is putting before you.

Taking a gap year with Thinking Beyond Borders is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I applied for TBB because I knew that going to college right after high school was not the right path for me. I was leaving my family and friends for seven months to immerse myself in new cultures, further develop my passion for helping others and to find something that makes me want to get out of bed every morning. It didn’t really hit me that I was embarking on this trip of a lifetime with TBB until I was checking my bags at the airport. My TBB journey has been one of great highs and a lot of lows. Most of the time I wasn’t giving myself what I needed and the new living environments posed quite a challenge for me. Though it was not always easy and the environment was not what I was used to, I was able to question critically the assumptions I had about the role my society plays in global development because of TBB which is something I am eternally grateful for. My peers were in the same position as I was and this created a bond between us that is like nothing I have ever experienced. The unconditional love, support and protection that radiates from my peers each and everyday is something that I have realized I could not live without. Thinking Beyond Borders has changed the way I look at the world and the way I look at myself. I am forever grateful to have had this experience and become a part of the Thinking Beyond Borders family. Taking a gap year with TBB is something that has shaped my life and hopefully you take the opportunity to join its amazing community!