My Experience at Be the Change - Taupo, NZ 2010

Hi! My name is Emily Gregson, and I am from Montreal, Quebec. Just a few days ago I completed the week-long program Be the Change (BTC) of GVN. And I have to admit, signing up for that program was the smartest thing I've ever done.

Most people turn to BTC when they have an idea for a social entreprise (or an NGO or NPO) but no idea how to go about getting started. This program is perfect for that, as it provides all the necessary tools and ressources you could possibly need in the social entreprise industry, all in a great learning environment. It also provides you with a community of like-minded people to bounce ideas off of, as well as essential connections that are very hard to find otherwise. Many people also found the confidence they were lacking, which is very important because it takes courage to put such big ideas out into the world. There were information packed workshops, a variety of inspiring lecturers brought in, and stimulating interactive activities which were balanced with evenings of hiking, hot springs, and culture. The people who brought this all together (the facilitators) were some of the most inspiring, intelligent and compassionate people I've ever met.

I was a little different from the usual Be the changer, as in I did not come with a predetermined idea for starting my own entreprise, nor did I develop one in the duration of the program. That is because I don't see myself as an entrepreneur, but rather as a builder. A builder is someone who supports the entrepreneur, and takes care of the things that the big brain of the operation doesn't have time for. Here is a little of my background, and how I came to sign up for BTC;

Last fall I graduated from Vanier College in Montreal with no intentions of ever going back to school, mostly because I had no idea what to go back to school for. It only took a few months of being out of school and working for me to realize that University was my best bet, but I still had no idea what to study. I knew what I liked, and I knew what I didn't like, but still didn't know in which direction to proceed. My older sister, Annie, had just spent two months of her summer in Rwanda, volunteering with GVN. I had been interested in the idea of traveling abroad for a long time, but wanted to do something that would lead to more than just a quick volunteer jaunt. It was then that she brought my attention to the BTC program, and I realized that if there was any program that could set me on the right path, this was it.

BTC gave me the direction I needed, and now I have a definite plan for...well, for my life. I now know exactly what I want to study (which is Communications and Culture, at Concordia University with a minor in Finance, as well as learning Spanish) and where I want to go afterwards. That alone is priceless to me, and something I had been searching for a long time.

And that's not even the only thing I got from BTC! I now also have this amazing, international family that will push me (as I will push them) to achieve our goals and we will always have each other to turn to when the going gets rough. My week spent in the house with the eight other participants was such an enjoyable experience, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to help the world be a better place by going further than simply volunteering.

Go, Be the Change!