C&E: How has travel helped you to grow as a person?
NM: “For me personally, traveling solo over the past 15 years has allowed me to grow from a shy introvert to someone able to plop down in any city, find my way, and turn strangers into friends.”
C&E: Where was your very first trip?
NM: “I didn’t take my first trip overseas until I was 23. I went to Costa Rica, and the experience changed my life. I fell in love with travel, the freedom that came along with owning your own day. The following year, I went to Thailand. My plan was to travel for a year, but I came home eighteen months later, decided the ‘real world’ wasn’t right for me, and left again. I ended up spending over a decade on the road.”
C&E: Tell us about FLYTE
NM: “At FLYTE, we empower youth living in underserved communities through transformative travel experiences. We provide teachers and students with the planning and funding they need to take what they learn in the classroom and put it to use in the real world.”
C&E: What inspired you to set up FLYTE?
NM: “I know the value of education and understand how privileged I am to be able to travel the world. Even with the best budget tips and travel hacks, not everyone has that same opportunity. This is especially true for students in underserved communities, who don’t have an opportunity to expand their world view, meet people from other cultures, and bring what they learn in the classroom to life. I wanted to create an organization which was open to everyone around the country.”
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