Josh reflects on the past year as he prepares for the future

It’s pretty surreal to think that this time last year I was accepted into the UConn abroad in Cape Town program and would soon be leaving for a life-changing journey.  In reflecting on all that has happened and how I have changed in the last year, I truly am grateful that God gave me the opportunity to spend time in South Africa.  The experience I had in Cape Town was everything and so much more than I anticipated when leaving the US.  I expected the trip to be exploratory in nature to help me determine whether a career in development was what I wanted to pursue.  The trip ended up providing that answer and so much more.  I currently am applying to graduate programs to further study results-based development.  In the long run, I would love to mobilize the Christian community to lead change overseas.  I recognize that many view and will view this as controversial, but I believe the opportunity is immense.  Recently, I have been drawing up ideas seeking to create a sustainable business model that would utilize short-term programs to generate long-term solutions to some of the challenges I observed while overseas.  The model will seek to further develop entrepreneurs across developing countries, a skillset I found in abundance in both South Africa and in Ecuador over the summer.  No matter where I end up or what I end up doing, the key for me in life has always been about the why.  The trip to South Africa helped solidify that the “why” in my life in the past and in the future must be rooted in my faith in Jesus.  I’m grateful for what I learned and the many ways in which I was challenged.  I wish my co-educators and the future program participants all the best in their own life’s journey.  And to my friends from South Africa, I am confident that I will be back in Cape Town one day soon!