Interview | Traveling Northstar: Sierra Wallace Heads to Thailand
By Karen Ampomah, Iesha Walker, Erick Ariza
Northstars travel far distances! Sierra Wallace (Class of 2017) is planning a volunteer trip to Thailand via the "Travel With a Purpose" program run by the GIVE volunteering abroad organization. She was intrigued by a flier she saw about the program and attended a meeting. While at the meeting, Sierra learned that she would be working alongside the locals in Thailand on a variety of sustainable agriculture projects.
Sierra will also be working on reforestation projects focused on preserving the natural environment that local people and wildlife rely on to survive. While there, she will be teaching English to primary and middle school students.
Sierra graduated from Nottingham High School in 2017 and now attends Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ. She is majoring in Communications and minoring in psychology. She would like to get a well-paying, rewarding job after college that allows her to help others in need and use her resources for good.
Currently, she is still trying to raise funds for her trip. To read more about it or to donate, click here to Sierra's GoFund.me page.
Star Status: What are your expectations to your trip to Thailand?
Sierra Wallace: I expect my trip to Thailand to be a life-changing experience. I feel that living in an entirely different culture than my own would change my perspective on all things in life. This experience should humble me, by seeing how differently other people live, without the resources we are used to in America. After watching many YouTube videos on other volunteers’ trips through this program, my expectations are very high. Not only do I hope to have lots of fun there, I hope to gain knowledge from the locals from the way they live. I expect to provide the community with an abundance of resources to help them throughout the day. I would love to gain some lasting relationships with the locals and the children in the community, and to be someone they look up to.
What adjustments will you need to make in an unfamiliar country?
There’s a lot of cultural differences between Thailand and America, so a lot of adjustments will have to be made. I would have to adjust my way of communicating. Instead of using my verbal language, I will have to use my nonverbal and visual language to communicate with the locals there, since I do not speak Thai. I will also have to break out of my comfort zone, to immerse myself in their culture. I will have to adjust my pace of life, and how I am used to living in America. Adjusting to Thai food should not be a problem, though.
How will this program help you achieve your future goals?
This program will help me achieve my future goals by opening my eyes to all that’s out there in the world. I currently am not sure what my “dream job” is, but I know that I want to help people in any way I could. This trip could help me understand if I want to pursue a job for a non-profit company, giving resources to those in need. I would love to continue my volunteering journey every year that I am able to, considering this program travels to five other countries as well. As a communications major, I hope to break the communication barrier between my culture and the Thai culture. This trip will also help me increase my cultural understanding, which will be very beneficial in any future job I choose.
Why do the children need to learn how to speak English?
The rural schools in Thailand are not provided with access to native-speaking English teachers that are available at most schools throughout the country. With that being said, the students are still expected to pass the same standardized exams in order to advance to higher education. Also, job markets are becoming extremely reliant on the English language. Teaching the children English will not only advance their education, but also open them up to job opportunities in the future.
Do you think you will get attached to the students you're going to teach?
I do think that I will get attached to the students I am going to teach. Recently, I’ve been interacting and connecting to children really easily. I realized my weirdness is considered normal and entertaining to kids, and I can act goofy around them while having a great time. From what the past volunteers have told me, the children there are very respectful and eager to learn, which will only make me like them more. I am also planning on making little beaded bracelets to give out to the kids with cute sayings on them, which will help me connect with them even deeper.
What are some goals you hope to accomplish after your trip?
A small goal I hope to accomplish after my trip is to send customized photos of my time there to everyone that donated to my Gofund.me page that made the entire trip possible. I could not even express my level of gratitude to everyone who donated to help me reach almost half of my goal! I was so scared to start it because I was not expecting it to go very far at all! Another goal I hope to accomplish is to educate my family and friends about the culture in Thailand, and how its people live. I also hope to spread awareness of how their environment makes it harder for them to live, and what we can do to help.
Did your thoughts on the environment influence your decision to go to Thailand?
The environment is the source of our life. Without a healthy, stable environment, our world will start to deteriorate, making living very hard. Everyone should care about the environment because there is no “Planet B.” The Earth is currently in an environmental crisis. Climate change is rapidly increasing, along with land and ocean pollution. The biggest environmental problem faced in rural countries today the is domestic water and sanitation issues. Recycling, saving water and reducing electricity are all important ways you can contribute to helping the environment. Eating less meat will also help to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 56%. Americans only account for 5% of the world’s population but create half of the world’s solid waste, so anything you can do to help change this cycle matters.
Would you be interested in Peace Corps or volunteering in the Red Cross? Why or why not?
Yes, I would be interested in Peace Corps or volunteering in the Red Cross. Those two programs are focused on bettering the lives of others, which I would be honored to be a part of. America is so rich and full of resources that most of the world does not have. Giving back to those in need is the least I could do during my time on Earth. So many people are struggling, and any kind of help would matter.
Sierra will also be working on reforestation projects focused on preserving the natural environment that local people and wildlife rely on to survive. While there, she will be teaching English to primary and middle school students.
Sierra graduated from Nottingham High School in 2017 and now attends Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ. She is majoring in Communications and minoring in psychology. She would like to get a well-paying, rewarding job after college that allows her to help others in need and use her resources for good.
Currently, she is still trying to raise funds for her trip. To read more about it or to donate, click here to Sierra's GoFund.me page.
Star Status: What are your expectations to your trip to Thailand?
Sierra Wallace: I expect my trip to Thailand to be a life-changing experience. I feel that living in an entirely different culture than my own would change my perspective on all things in life. This experience should humble me, by seeing how differently other people live, without the resources we are used to in America. After watching many YouTube videos on other volunteers’ trips through this program, my expectations are very high. Not only do I hope to have lots of fun there, I hope to gain knowledge from the locals from the way they live. I expect to provide the community with an abundance of resources to help them throughout the day. I would love to gain some lasting relationships with the locals and the children in the community, and to be someone they look up to.
What adjustments will you need to make in an unfamiliar country?
There’s a lot of cultural differences between Thailand and America, so a lot of adjustments will have to be made. I would have to adjust my way of communicating. Instead of using my verbal language, I will have to use my nonverbal and visual language to communicate with the locals there, since I do not speak Thai. I will also have to break out of my comfort zone, to immerse myself in their culture. I will have to adjust my pace of life, and how I am used to living in America. Adjusting to Thai food should not be a problem, though.
How will this program help you achieve your future goals?
This program will help me achieve my future goals by opening my eyes to all that’s out there in the world. I currently am not sure what my “dream job” is, but I know that I want to help people in any way I could. This trip could help me understand if I want to pursue a job for a non-profit company, giving resources to those in need. I would love to continue my volunteering journey every year that I am able to, considering this program travels to five other countries as well. As a communications major, I hope to break the communication barrier between my culture and the Thai culture. This trip will also help me increase my cultural understanding, which will be very beneficial in any future job I choose.
Why do the children need to learn how to speak English?
The rural schools in Thailand are not provided with access to native-speaking English teachers that are available at most schools throughout the country. With that being said, the students are still expected to pass the same standardized exams in order to advance to higher education. Also, job markets are becoming extremely reliant on the English language. Teaching the children English will not only advance their education, but also open them up to job opportunities in the future.
Do you think you will get attached to the students you're going to teach?
I do think that I will get attached to the students I am going to teach. Recently, I’ve been interacting and connecting to children really easily. I realized my weirdness is considered normal and entertaining to kids, and I can act goofy around them while having a great time. From what the past volunteers have told me, the children there are very respectful and eager to learn, which will only make me like them more. I am also planning on making little beaded bracelets to give out to the kids with cute sayings on them, which will help me connect with them even deeper.
What are some goals you hope to accomplish after your trip?
A small goal I hope to accomplish after my trip is to send customized photos of my time there to everyone that donated to my Gofund.me page that made the entire trip possible. I could not even express my level of gratitude to everyone who donated to help me reach almost half of my goal! I was so scared to start it because I was not expecting it to go very far at all! Another goal I hope to accomplish is to educate my family and friends about the culture in Thailand, and how its people live. I also hope to spread awareness of how their environment makes it harder for them to live, and what we can do to help.
Did your thoughts on the environment influence your decision to go to Thailand?
The environment is the source of our life. Without a healthy, stable environment, our world will start to deteriorate, making living very hard. Everyone should care about the environment because there is no “Planet B.” The Earth is currently in an environmental crisis. Climate change is rapidly increasing, along with land and ocean pollution. The biggest environmental problem faced in rural countries today the is domestic water and sanitation issues. Recycling, saving water and reducing electricity are all important ways you can contribute to helping the environment. Eating less meat will also help to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 56%. Americans only account for 5% of the world’s population but create half of the world’s solid waste, so anything you can do to help change this cycle matters.
Would you be interested in Peace Corps or volunteering in the Red Cross? Why or why not?
Yes, I would be interested in Peace Corps or volunteering in the Red Cross. Those two programs are focused on bettering the lives of others, which I would be honored to be a part of. America is so rich and full of resources that most of the world does not have. Giving back to those in need is the least I could do during my time on Earth. So many people are struggling, and any kind of help would matter.