The 2010 South Africa Team 

Minesha 16

I'm Minesha and the love of my life is my 3 yr old son Kevian Gaskins. I'm a junior at the Academy @ Central. My biggest goal and dream is to get accepted to GeorgeTown University(med. school). While there I plan to study medicine, and become an OB-GYN. Growing up my sister and brother were all I had, my Mom was there as much as she could be but between working, kids, and drugs something had to give. Through all the trials and hardships it made me stronger and I love my life. From this trip I would like to gain the power to trust others and be able to open up to people easier. Because over the years I have learned to let all my fears and feelings build up inside me. Also, I would like to gain new friends and new bonds, and a experience to never forget:)

 

Askia 17

Hi I'm Askia,  I'm a junior at Smith High School, I'm also the youngest of 3 brothers. I live with my mom, I have 2 nephews and 2 nieces which I love with all my heart. My biggest challenge is being misunderstood and by others that don't know the potential inside me and what I can offer my fellow peers. My future plan is to help others who have been misunderstood or mistreated in life.

What I hope to gain from the Globetrotter program/trip is to broaden my awareness of human pain, struggles and victory and hopefully use it in everyday life. I'm very excited about being a Globetrotter, thanks to Katelyn and her wonderful parents and you all for choosing me.

 

Taylor Woody 16

Well for starters, I'm the youngest of five girls to a single hardworking and loving mother. My mother Debra Alley died three years ago from lung cancer. My older sister, also a single mother of two daughters, is now my guardian. We both, along with my other sisters have gone through a lot dealing with my mother's absence but it has brought all of us closer and made our bonds stronger. My goal after high school is to go to a good college where I can major in something around animals, maybe veterinary science. My second choice would be Art which I feel I am very good at. I want to give as much as I get out of the Globetrotter trip. I hope it broaden my horizons and to have my mind boggled to what is out there. I hope I gain new knowledge and with it do some good that will affect others as much as it affects me.  Anything that may be new to them but old and familiar to me, I want to share and anything old and familiar to them but new to me I hope I gain knowledge from.

 

Gaby 17

My name is Gabrielle, I am 17 years old, and my family is from Panama. I’m currently a junior at Grimsley High School and I live with my mom and aunt. I am an only child, which I used to dislike but I see it as more of a blessing now because I always look after my three younger cousins, so having a younger sibling may have made this experience less exciting. I don’t really have a dad anymore because I haven’t seen him since he left my mom and me two and a half years ago. I think that is a sort of blessing too though because he wouldn’t have been such a good influence on me, and I think my mom was able to do a better job with me with just her influences and the ones of my surrounding family. I have a lot of things I want to do with my life, my biggest goal being to hopefully one day become a Pediatric Plastic Surgeon is South Africa, which is why the fact that this amazing trip is to South Africa is so great and such an unexpected blessing. I really hope that this trip serves as inspiration to me to work hard in school, I know that it will open my eyes to how amazing the people of this country are and that I’ll just fall in love with them and their culture, and that all these things will be what pushes me to work hard and learn all I can for the children there that I hope to one day help. Besides being a doctor it is my dream to one day be known as a humanitarian, and I hope that this trip will open me to a world beyond the borders of United States that I can hopefully change and benefit. My hopes for this trip is that it will completely open my eyes and knock down all walls or barriers that I have put up regarding to what I think about the world.

 

 

Deshawn 17

Early in my teenage years, I struggled substantially with identity issues. I was always worried about how others may have viewed me. I also struggled with knowing that I was adopted. Often, there were situations in which, I felt it to be a little awkward being adopted. I didn't want anyone to contradict who I was so I rebelled against my parents in many different ways. I was on a path that would not benefit my future at all. There was also, and still is, a lack of male role models in my life, but I don't let anything stop me. A lot of people take the downfalls in their life, and use them as barriers to block them from where they could possibly go, but I refused. I was lead to the Middle College at GTCC High Point, because I knew that I was around people who were not beneficial to where I was heading. I knew that peer pressure was surrounding me, and I just did not want to give into it forever. Most people who attend my home school are the very people who I needed to get away from, because I wanted to develop my future for myself. I knew the only way it would happen was if I totally separated myself from them. When I came to the middle college at GTCC High Point I knew two people out of 125. I didn't have any friends. This is very different than now. I know almost everyone at school, and the student body actually elected me as the student body vice president this year. There was not a specific event that changed my life., but I'm glad I made the decision within myself to change.

 

In September 2009, during a round table discussion with a couple of friends about how we had overcome certain obstacles in life; we wondered if we would have been better off in elementary and middle school if we had someone that we could have related to that wasn't technically an adult so Kendall McDowell, Mariah Bolin and myself started a mentorship/tutorial program called USUCCEED. USUCCEED has now grown to 40 volunteers and will be doing mentoring in 3 elementary/middle schools in High Point. My future aspirations are to attend a college in North Carolina, UNC-CH, UNCC, Wake Forest and Duke are currently schools I am interested in. I would like to get a Master's Degree and then a PH.D in elementary education.

 

Lauren - 17

I am lucky enough to have had a fairly good childhood, not many complaints about that. Somehow I seem to have turned out pretty good. I want to start out by saying that I was not a very outgoing child, and I didn't have many friends. We found out when I was ten years old the reason for that. I was diagnosed with panic disorder, which is not anything life threatening, but I would have frequent attacks where I would feel very nervous and shaky, and usually I felt like I couldn't breathe. It is a nervous system disorder that I have learned to cope with through therapy and with the assistance of low dose medication.

 

My household has always dealt with the stress of finances. It is a part of my life that I have had to deal with, but I don't let that bring me down. I realized that I could still have fun without it. And I believe that this trip will help me out in maintaining that mind frame not to take things for granted. I am positive that people where we are going are so much less fortunate than I am, and I think that if I see it that I will be able to stay positive towards those who don't value what they have.

 

I dream to be a trauma surgeon. I want to work in the fast paced, mind stimulating environment that it entails, and I want to ultimately help people. I know that my dream is far stretched, but I am the most willing person in the world to do whatever I need to in order to fulfill it. I also have a smaller dream to travel to as many countries as I can, and live the way they live. I am a very adventurous type who is willing to try anything, which is a characteristic that I believe is necessary for traveling in those conditions.

 

Madelyn 17

My name is Madelyn  and I am junior at Ragsdale High School. After graduation I plan to go to either ASU or UNCG and study Special Education. I have lived in Greensboro for the past five years, but before then I was a military brat and I've lived in many different places like Germany, Kansas, and New York. I still proudly support our troops all over the world, and I appreciate those soldier's families, knowing firsthand the sacrifices that must be made in order for those brave men and women to protect our freedom. One great challenge I have faced in my life were watching a close family member deal with severe depression; I am very grateful to see him happy and depression-free today. I also lost a good friend to suicide, it was an experience that shook my faith and made me question a lot of things. I love swimming-- I've been racing competitively since I was six, which is why I am especially looking forward to the shark cage adventure when we go to South Africa. The thing I am most looking forward to, however, is the children. I am the oldest of four and have learned that kids are an infinite source of curiosity and fun. These children we will be meeting, who have experienced so much in their short lives, I think will have a lot to teach us about blessing and life in general.

 

Shatora 17

Hello, my name is Shatora Blackwell I'm a senior at Ragsdale High School. I stay with my Mom and nephew. My father doesn't stay with me but, I love him. I'm really the only child but, before I was born my Mom had adopted a little girl name Sandra, she is now my real sister. I have 4 nephews and 1 niece. Although, my Mom didn't graduate she pushes me to do the right thing. I love my family so much and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

 

Even though, some of us may have our ups and downs, we still pick each other back up. I'm very thankful of them because if I'm down and out they always seem to help me out and help me stay focused so I can graduate and be someone in life.  When I get out of high school I want to either be a social worker or a lawyer. I want to major in one of those because I am very outspoken and say what comes to mind. I want to be a social worker so I can help others and make people have a healthy and happy home like I have. The reason I'm glad I got picked for this trip is because I want to view different cultures and see what it is like. I want to come out of my fear mode with animals and other creatures. I hope to meet new friends and have to succeed without my Mother and Father. Last but, not least I hope to learn more communication skills.

 

Lexx Truss 17

A significant amount of details have affected my life in tremendous ways, most positive, few negative. I realize that every second of life is a valuable and, should not be taken for granted. So I apply myself with distinct dedication and try the best to separate myself from negative contention. I hope that different details my peers and I know and continue to learn end up affecting many individuals and hope that people in general can be affected by positive figures of their environments.

 

Born in Tucson Arizona and raised in Greensboro North Carolina by mother Toi Truss. Growing up I had a number of creative ambitions; simply inspired by many visuals among me. At the age of four I was interested into animation, in the fact of desiring to become animator. Soon that ended up changing into a strong interest in Cinematic Features. From that point on it hasn’t changed, just expanded. I attended two schools during my elementary school experience, Vandalia and Foust. In second grade at Foust I achieved the award of “most creative” in my class for writing a children book entitled “The BAD BAD Dragon”. which was published through my school thanks to the mentor I had during that time.  By sixth grade I attended Imani Institute Charter Middle School in downtown Greensboro. There I participated in the Blue Crush Drumline, which meant me marching in many parades. Imani closed by my eighth grade year causing myself to attend Allen Middle School, where I regressed in academic and social activities, due to a change of surroundings. After graduating from Allen, I joined the Middle College of Entertainment Technology my current high school, where I became involved in digital media courses relating to my desired career in film. From then I been committed into a dose of community activities and have admired every step I had taken from that.      

 

Khaleel 18

My name is Yusuf Khaleel Loyd. I am a senior currently enrolled in The Early College Academy at James B. Dudley High school. I am captain of the UMOJA Male Step Team and also Mr. Senior of the class of 2010. I plan on attending UNC Charlotte in the fall to major in international business and minor in Accounting. In the near future I will start my own business teaching the art of Step to youth.

Traveling has always been a dream, helping people is my passion. This journey to South Africa has given me hope that anything is possible. I would have never imagined that I would be given this opportunity to help people in need and experience so much diversity at such a young age. While there I hope to gained knowledge and history of South African cultures.