Being Brave About Who I Am
By Tingyuan Chen
The Amazing Thailand Adventure, 2014; Escape to the Fiji Islands, 2015
Finding My Passion
By Valentina Baccianella
Sticky Rice Service Adventure, 2014; From the Ground Up: A Seminar in International Development, 2015; Elephants and Amazing Thailand, 2016
Making the World a Better Place
By Holly Lippman
Surf and Service, 2014; Highlands and Islands Service Immersion, 2015; Highlands and Islands Service, 2016
Life Lessons Through Travel
By Rachel S.
Summer Camp Leadership, 2015; Beyond Capitol Hill, 2016; Rebuilding New Orleans, 2017
Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
By Sammi Fuller
Sun, Sand, and International Service in Fiji, 2015; Peru Sacred Valley Service, 2016
What Travel is Really All About
By Pablo Gonzalez Ruiz
Fiji Leadership Challenge, 2015; Costa Rica Adventure, 2014
Gaining New Perspectives with Travel
By Pablo Ruiz Segura
Intro to Community Service, 2014; Sarapiquí: A Tropical Service Adventure, 2014; Surf and Service 2015-2016; Seven Wonder of Australia, 2017
If Only I Could Be in High School Again
By Victoria Tadewald
Caribbean Adrenaline, 2014; Seven Wonders of Australia, 2015; Leader Corps: Peru, 2018
Discovering My Path Within a Changing World
By Alexandra Pyne
Fiji Diver’s Dream, 2015; Caribbean Adrenaline, 2016
The Summer of No Regrets
By Sully Sim
Culture and the Crater, 2018; Spring to the Sacred Valley, 2019; Hanoi to Halong, Hill Tribe Service and Elephant Conservation, 2019
Taking Action at Home
By Nick Makris
You, a Roo’, and Australia Zoo, 2019; Thailand Deep Dive and Global Issues Design Challenge, 2020
The #sorustic Spirit
By Caroline, Molly, and Natalie
Seven Wonders of Australia; Moroccan Wanderer; Soccer and Service in Costa Rica
Two Summers in Video
By Nicho and Jake
Off the Map, Peru; Mountain Air and Village Service, Dominican Republic
Go After What You Care About
By Dan, Sasha, and Molly
Photojournalism in Thailand and Laos; Service in the Clouds, India; Marine Life and Coastal Restoration in Fiji
Rustic Reflections
By Kaleigh, Tristan, and Allie
Seven Wonders of Australia; Moroccan Wanderer; Soccer and Service in Costa Rica
A Transformative Gap Year
Interview with Cailey Newton
Ricefields, Monks, and Smiling Children; Sacred Valley Service in Peru
2016 Top Fundraisers
By Madi, Cate, and Sydney
Hill Tribe Service and Elephant Conservation; Culture and the Crater; Souqs and Service; Nicoya Turtle Expedition,
Travel Influenced Post-High School Plans
By Basil, Rachael, and Sloane
Mountain Air and Village Service in Dominican Republic; Turtle Conservation Project; Off the Map Ghana; Amazing Thailand and Elephants
Travel Lessons and Advice from a Gap Year
Interview with Zoe and Camila
Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar Gap Year; Gap Year, Southeast Asia
Program Highlights and Advice to Travelers
Interview with Eric and Besart
Come With Nothing: The Mekong Expedition; Marine Life and Coastal Restoration
Eye-Opening Experiences
By Nabilla, Sarah, and Maggie
Souqs and Service; The Ultimate African Adventure; Children of India; The Thai Elephant Conservation Project; The Hill Tribe Support and Refugee Camp
Diving Into Unfamiliar Territory
By Isabella, Cameron, and Maria
Intro to Community Service in Fiji; The Amazing Thailand Adventure; Come With Nothing, Go Home Rich; Mountain Air and Village Service; Namaste India; Sacred Valley Service
How to Continue Service After Your Program Ends
Interviews with Nicole, Maddie, and Lena
Come With Nothing, Go Home Rich; Thailand Hill Tribe
Advice on Immersing Yourself in a New Country
By Emma and Carolyn
Namaste India; The Thai Elephant Conservation Project, Green Island Service; Village School Service, Fiji
How Travel Changed Everything
By Taylor Brennan
Sacred Valley Service, 2015; Surf and Service in Costa Rica, 2016
Travel Taught Me to Stand Up for What I Believe In
By Carey Davis
Bribrí Villages Service Experience, 2014; The Thai Elephant Conservation Project, 2015; Culture and the Crater, 2016; Dreams of a Nation, Myanmar, 2017
A Continued Journey into Positive Impact
Interview with Calista Schloessmann
Mountain Air and Village Service, 2019
7,295 Miles of Gratitude
By Mazzy Rosenast
The Children’s Home and Elephant Sanctuary Project, 2018; Mountain Air and Village Service, 2019
My Experience During Spanish Immersion and Service
By Ilana Hamer
Spanish Immersion and Service in Costa Rica, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, 2017
How Travel Helped me Identify my Academic and Career Path
By Heather Lyon
India, 2006; Sacred Valley Service, 2007
Shwedagon and Sunrises
By Brooke Cornetet
South Pacific Service and Ocean Skills Semester, 2013; Golden Lands and World Heritage, 2014
1st in My Family to Attend College, and Why I Took a Gap Year First
By Sharif Campbell
Golden Lands and World Heritage Gap Year, 2015
How A Student Travel Program Helped Me Overcome My Anxiety
By Megan Gallagher
Rebuilding New Orleans, 2012; Big Fiji Explorer, 2013
I Used My Travel Experience to Write the Essay that Got Me Into College
By Alex Boulet
Climbing Kili, 2011
Stories from Rustic Travelers
By Michael, Brielle, and Sam
Peru, Fiji, New Orleans
The Impact of a Gap Year
By Kelsey, Sharif, and Lance
Spanish Immersion and Service Gap Year; Golden Lands and World Heritage Gap Year; Southeast Asia and India Gap Year, 2015
Hear from Two Alumni Parents
By David and Melissa
Australia, Cambodia Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Fiji, India, Peru, Mystery Trip
What I Learned From Traveling
By Olivia M.
Refugee Youth Project in Baltimore, 2018
By Liz Ronzio
Tanzania; Fiji; India; China; Southeast Asia
By Charlie M.
Costa Rica, 2003; Thailand 2004; Gap Year – Backpacked 22 Countries with Rustic Pathways
By Brielle Friedman
Fiji, 2005; Thailand; New Orleans
By Andrea Bouch
Australia, 1998
By Lena Baker
Tanzania, 2008; Thailand, 2009
Have a Story to Share?
Everybody has a story and we want to hear yours. Not only do we want to hear it, we want to share it with students who will be traveling with us, your fellow Rustic alumni, and the Rustic family! We want everyone to know how great our alumni are, but more importantly, we want them to be inspired.
Rustic Pathways Alumni are known for being hard working, dedicated and solutions-oriented. We want to hear how your #sorustic experience helped you carry forth these and other traits beyond your experience with us.
Are you in school? Graduated? Do you have a new cool job? Or, do you have a cool story of making an impact and engaging with the world? We’d love to hear it!