I visited Liberia as a SPAN student in 1987. That was my first international trip and my first trip without my family. It really opened up doors to me. I went on a finished my PhD in Physics and now work at Boeing in Seattle. I have visited a dozen countries and I've been back to Africa twice since then. I'm not sure I would go back to Liberia, as there is so much unrest, but there are so many beautiful places to visit around the globe.

Oi! That's hello in Portuguese, which I learned when in Brazil with the 1996 SPAN program. The trip has influenced my life both personally and professionally. Personally, I have gained a lifelong friend, and am now godmother to her youngest child. Raquel and her family have since moved to the U.S. and now live in the Twin Cities, and our families get together regularly. I have now become known as the "Brazilian magnet" and have continued to make friends from there through my professional work in Learning and Development. I have been lucky to work in global education, or on projects with people from many other countries - and I credit my experience in Sao Paulo with helping to forge understanding between people from different regions while working on projects. Raquel and her family have invited my family to join them on a trip to Brazil for the 2014 Olympics...what an adventure we will have!

Note from SPAN office: SPANners from Brazil 1996 may contact the SPAN office if they are interested in reconnecting with Gabriella or other members of your group.