"Professor Arntson's team building exercises and classes about group dynamics were invaluable. They gave our team the same vocabulary and tools to mediate conflicts and make decisions while abroad and helped us understand each other's motivations."

"I will always treasure my home-stay experience. I became very close with my siblings and loved having a large family. I learned that wherever you are, a family is a family and life is lived day to day."

"My home-stay was one of the best aspects of my summer. I could not wait to get home after work. My sisters taught me so much about Ugandan culture as well as life in general. We have grown up on different sides of the world but we may as well as lived next door."

"I learned how compassionate people can be who have just met you and the wonderful hospitality and family culture that exists in India."

"Our NGO let us work independently, but took co-ownership of our project, which was comforting as we were creating a proposal for them and we required input and feedback to know that our work had a purpose."

"Being at our NGO was the single best part of the trip. I loved the community, and I loved the people there. It is an amazing NGO that does amazing things. The challenges we faced taught us to overcome obstacles."

"The FSD site team was incredible. I've never worked with such capable, caring, fun people. They made me feel so at home and safe and also really supported us with our NGO."

"The FSD site team was fantastic. They helped us with everything we needed from managing tough NGO relationships to making sure our project plans were really attempting to achieve sustainable development."

"I could not have imagined a better set of teammates. They were all extremely committed and brought all they knew to the table."

"I am very impressed by the commitment and intelligence of the fellow students in GESI. I definitely learned much from them."

"The diversity of our group made us effective -- while others preferred to work on logistical, behind-the-scenes stuff; some were outspoken, others were more contemplative; some were better planners, some were better at actuating ideas on paper."

"To succeed in this program you have to be willing to set aside your expectations. This applies both to the outcomes of your project, as well as the expectations of what daily life will consist of."

"This program gave new meaning to hands on learning. The background at the institute on development was great, and a week later you were on site attempting to implement what you had learned, and in the process learning far more than you could imagine."

"It is unique that GESI students do not have a predetermined project before arriving in country. Although this can lead to certain challenges, I was grateful for this approach."

"The most unique thing was the amount of exposure we got to the community. I felt like I was a part of it and not just observing it."

"This experience was absolutely applicable to my personal, professional, academic goals, especially when it comes to approaching development with a realistic perception of how it works on the ground."

"The experience has given me a new perspective on everything from washing the dishes to how to address world hunger... I will be returning to the lessons I learned on this trip decades from now."

"GESI has helped me mature as a team member and a prospective development worker."