Written by Adam Chaprnka, Director of Experiential Travel Programs
Experiential Travel Programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston have operated for 15 years. Over the past 18 months, there has been a focus evolving and growing the program model from it’s 1.0 version to a 2.0 version. Part of those efforts is strengthening the sense of community among alumni, connecting past participants to current teens, and creating a stronger network to support personal and professional growth for all involved. Recently, Daniel Creese connected with us to share what’s been happening in his life during the past few years.
Daniel Creese, Yawkey Club of Roxbury alumnus, participated in two Experiential Travel Programs, Explore India and Explore Japan. He graduated from Drake University and took a job with Allstate in Chicago before moving to Portland, Oregon to continue working for his company as a Customer Experience Consultant. To this day, he remains connected to the Boys & Girls Clubs and recently served as a volunteer advisor for Keystone, a teen leadership program, at a Club in Chicago.
When reflecting on his travel experiences, Daniel says the opportunity opened his eyes to new perspectives and cultures. By learning a different language and history, he became well rounded and was inspired to travel again. He described these trips as once-in-a-lifetime experiences. His favorite moment from the India trip was the visit to Taj Mahal. He learned about this amazing architectural achievement in books, but seeing it in person sent shivers down his back.
Daniel’s advice to teens currently involved in Experiential Travel Programs is to keep a positive mindset as soon as they board the plane from Boston. He reminds teens, “It’s going to be an amazing experience. Reflect on the experience and hold onto it.” For Daniel, he chose to write about traveling to India for his college essay, but he said that each teen is going to use the experience in a different way and get something unique out of it.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston and the Fish Family Foundation have been working together for more than a decade to provide global learning and travel opportunities to our teen members. For more information about BGCB’s Experiential Travel Programs, please contact Adam Chaprnka at achaprnka@bgcb.org
