Meet Our Volunteers

Nadav Margalit

Before: Last spring I spent two months in Israel and ever since I got back I felt bottled up and trapped in the Newton bubble. I needed to see more of the world. I consider myself an adventurous person and I decided that I wanted to go out of the country during the summer. I started researching different kinds of service trips and I was between a few but never got around to applying. When Dr Ibokette did the presentation on the trip in my history class it felt like when Amazon listens to your conversation and gives you an advertisement for whatever you were just talking about. So I applied….

After: The part of the trip I found the most rewarding was seeing the students every day. They melted my heart, and I felt as though I bonded with each and every one of them that were in my class. Even if I had a rough afternoon or night, walking into the class to a chorus of “goooodmooorning Uncle” put a smile on my face. The kids were so eager to learn and so cute…. The growth I saw in my students’ vocabulary and understanding as I read them books and they successfully pointed out the verbs and adjectives inspired me…. 

Frankie Mattioli

Before: If you’d asked me at the end of my sophomore year of high school if I knew I was [going to participate in the] Nigerian service trip, I would’ve said yes. I absolutely knew prior to the presentation, mid junior year, that I wanted to [go on the trip]. I had seen an email somewhere, or heard from someone about this opportunity, and I remember going home that day and telling my mom how badly I wanted to do it…. To me, the idea of doing something selfless in an entirely new environment was way more valuable than any of the exchange trips to Europe I had heard about. While it was an entirely different experience to embark on, I was so drawn to it. I realized this past year that if you don’t change, you can’t change. I hope that makes sense. I wanted to put myself in the farthest thing I could think of from the bubble I usually live in. I wanted to bring my usefulness and empathy across the world and expand my ability to feel helpful. I needed to change in order to grow more. I wanted to expand my perspectives, not because I didn’t have others, but because I felt that immersing myself in something would make the effect stronger. I did want to do this for myself before I got [there]. Once I got to Nigeria], thinking of myself [was] the last thing on my mind.
After: [For me, the most rewarding aspects of this trip were] the relationships we built with the kids, the relationships we built with each other, and the overall interest and welcoming feeling I felt [during] this trip. It didn’t really occur to me how close we would become with these children at the Model Government School. I got to know the students in my class individually and they were all so different and special in their own ways. … During the trip, I truly felt safe going to either Dr. Ibokette or Ms. MC with whatever I needed or felt. If Dr. Ibokette’s goal was to create a strong team environment, allow us to have an insane amount of fun, as well as learn things that will help carry us through the rest of our lives with more strength and perspective, then he definitely achieved that and more.… I have truly changed through this journey, so much so that it is hard to put into words…. I will carry these memories forever.” 

Massimo Carrieri

Before: The real reason I finally pulled the trigger and told myself I was going to go no matter what, when I started to think about my privileges. Being a kid coming from a middle-class home in New England, I obviously have some privileges. That fact is undeniable. The problem I have with my privilege is this “bubble” I live in. I haven’t been able to find much of an opportunity to use my privilege to help others. Going to Nigeria would be a complex process, but I knew if I could help at least one child with their academic career it would all be worth it.

After: The rush of the soccer ball breaks the silence, and the sound of children playing is all I can hear. Here I am, 5,000 miles from home, being greeted by the faces of a hundred kids eager to meet their new teacher, each one shaking my hand and politely greeting me with a “good morning sir.”. Though they couldn’t have been older than 10, I was intimidated by these children. I became a kid again, punting the ball down the uneven pitch. The children screamed with excitement, “c’mon uncle. Let’s play,” as they sprinted after the ball. I guess I should follow. 

My time in Nigeria was short, and while my experiences were unique, the idea of a service trip may not be. Still these memories will stick with me for the rest of my life. While in the classroom I witnessed the resilience of the human spirit in each of my students. These children were chosen for the program based on their personal situations. [Some of them had experienced very challenging circumstances …] leading to a huge disparity in their cognitive abilities. Despite their challenges, each and every one of my students would smile and greet me, eager to learn, eager to be at school…. I had a truly incredible time…. The memories I made in Etinan will stick with me forever and that’s mostly due to the kindness and hospitality [that I experienced].” 

Gavi Beckman

Before: Despite the diversity that surrounded me in Newton, I’ve always felt that I needed to broaden my understanding of the world. I’ve learned about other cultures and ways of life before, but I knew that a real life experience would be the only way I could truly expand my perspective. When I heard about the trip to Nigeria, I knew it was the perfect opportunity for me to break out of my “bubble” and have a radically different experience than what I am used to. I wanted to be a part of Dr. Ibokette’s incredible program, which creates a symbiotic relationship between the high schoolers who embark on the trip and the pupils in the Model Government School in Etinan. We gained an invaluable learning experience, and the students at the Model Government School got to learn in a more engaging and effective way which immensely improves their academic ability. 

After: Our trips to the stadium were great because I could talk with local people and play soccer in an unrestricted environment. I was getting genuine connection with people I would never have connected with otherwise. I truly felt like I was being welcomed into the community…. Teaching in the classroom was also incredibly rewarding for me. I was able to build strong relationships with my students while teaching them a lot. Seeing the happiness on the student’s faces when they were learning was an indescribable feeling. Teaching [these kids] was the most rewarding and impactful experience I’ve ever had in my life. It made saying goodbye to them very hard.

Nicole Grusby

Before: My sister is a big traveler, and although I don’t normally consider myself such, the more she travels the more I realize how interesting it is to explore new places and cultures. My family has done some traveling together, but not so much to places where we are immersed in the local culture. I chose to [go] on this trip because I wanted to have more first hand experiences in cultures and environments different from what I’m used to. I saw this trip as a possibly once in a lifetime opportunity to go to a place drastically different from what I am accustomed to.

After: I could not have asked for a better, more supportive group of people to go on the trip with. I feel like I truly bonded with my peers, especially my roommates and Ms. M-C, and I also really bonded with the kids in my group. It was truly heartbreaking to leave the kids on the last day and part with my roommates at the end of the trip as well, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way…. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity. It was truly life changing, and I’ll never forget it. Also thank you for being such an incredible person, you’re an inspiration and I want to grow up to be a humanist just like you. 

Emily Pineda

Before: My mom always told me about children in Africa and the hardships they go through but I could never truly visualize and understand to what extent people with little resources go through. When I heard about the Nigerian Service Trip during my history class I was interested but I didn’t consider applying for reasons I can’t exactly put into words. My mother on the other hand took matters into her own hands and convinced me to fill out the application form and after a few weeks and many emails with those organizing the trip, I got in. I was really hopeful that I would be chosen because I’m very interested in early childhood development, and I wanted to see first hand how much the environment of a child will change the way they grow up. I wasn’t sure of every single detail of the trip itself, but I knew we would be at a school with young children who had the opportunity to attend a summer program and I knew I wanted to be involved in it in any way I could.

After: I really enjoyed [dispensing reading glasses to the elderly during the Community Outreach] … and that is truly one of my core memories from the trip. It was very nice to see the smile on people’s faces when they were given glasses. [Also being] in the classroom and doing STEM and art [with the kids] were my favorite parts of the day … because it’s when I could see each child shine and really demonstrate their personalities inside of the classroom instead of just during recess.