Help Support My Gap Year with International Volunteer Headquarters!

Sarah Marino-Babcock Start Date: Aug 2, 2015 - End Date: Sep 10, 2015

My Travel Story

by: Sarah Marino-Babcock Start Date: Aug 2, 2015 - End Date: Sep 10, 2015
My name is Sarah Marino-Babcock, and I am a recent graduate of St. Mark's School. Throughout my senior year, I spent a large majority of my time thinking about college. I applied to many, and was accepted to some great schools, but ultimately I decided to defer and take a gap year. A lot of thought went into making this decision, but I know that it's definitely what's best for me at this point in time.

Looking back at the past four years, I remember all the fantastic and enriching experiences I had at St. Mark's, but I also realize that I spent so much time focusing on how I could improve life for myself that I barely had time to think about how I could improve life for others, so this is what I intend to spend my gap year trying to achieve.

I'm not going into this with the mentality that as a citizen of the United States I am going to go into a developing country and change the life of every single person I meet, but I do hope that by spending time traveling in different parts of the world I can learn about other cultures and how our interactions with them change how the world works. My hope is that this adventure gives me the knowledge to one day make a real meaningful difference in this world, but the only way I can do this is with the help of family and friends.

My plan is to begin in Lima, Peru in September. I will be volunteering at a school and living among local families. The rest of my trip depends on the money I am able to raise with your help. My goal is to spend more time in South America visiting schools and orphanages in some of the most poverty stricken areas. I then plan to return home and work for a while before I travel to Delhi, India in the spring.

I want to make the most of this year, but this trip will cost me more than I can afford on my own. If you would consider supporting my gap year I would be very grateful. Any donation helps!

Thank you for taking the time to visit my page. If you want to know more about the goals of my trip or why I'm choosing a gap year don't hesitate to contact me!