In high-school, Alexander Pye was like many seniors: scared and unsure of the future after saying goodbye to the frantic high school hallways and repulsive cafeteria food. He wasn’t sure about what he wanted to major in or his plans after college, but he had a desire for adventure and it led him to exactly where he needed to be. There was more for him out there than what Atlanta could give him.
After graduating from Lovett in 2015, while his friends prepared to head off to university, Pye packed his bags for a 7 months gap year. He called the program Thinking Beyond Borders home during this new journey.
“I saw programs that were work oriented and some that were just a bunch of kids partying. The one I chose was more geared to learning and seeking a different experience,” said Pye.
Thinking Beyond Borders is an educational institution helping students prepare for careers that improve our world. They specialize in learning not just foreign cultures, but developing a deeper understanding of the world through living and working within communities. They offer a variety of international programs to provide students from high school through graduate school rigorous and engaging learning.
Pye along with 14 other students and 3 leaders traveled to 6 countries in the span of 7 months: South Africa, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Ecuador, and Peru. When asked what was your favorite experience, Pye smiled.
“There are so many,” explained Pye.
He continued to describe an impactful moment after hiking the Inca trail for 3 days.
“You come to this thing called the Sun Gate and when you get to the gate you can see the whole valley of Machu Picchu, and I looked out and just imagined what it used to be.”
Pye learned how to adapt to the country’s culture within a short few weeks of orientation. This proved to be just the kind of challenge Pye was looking for. He stayed with families in local communities within the country and invested his time into truly being in the moment. Pye spent his days working or teaching with locals to learning the customs of their culture. On weekends the students were free to explore. During his free time, Pye even got to check a few things off his bucket list such as skydiving, cliff diving, and swimming with sharks.
“I was a little nervous hearing all these things Alexander was doing actually. Part of me was like that’s my son and the other half was insanely proud,” said Alexander Pye’s mother, Jennifer Pye.
Pye dedicates the inspiration for his decision to go on a gap year to his family.
“When I saw the program, I knew it would be perfect fit for Alexander. He has always had a sense for adventure since he was a kid. I wanted him to be happy first and foremost. Thinking Beyond Borders really did that for him,” said Jennifer Pye.
Throughout the wonders of the trip, along came inevitable challenges. Living a completely different life in a strange country proved to be increasingly really overwhelming for Pye. Pye faced hardships he recalled.
“I remember being really sick in a bed with bed bugs thousands of miles away from home and thinking how I wish more than anything I could just be home with my mom to take care of me,” said Alexander Pye.
Although homesickness was a disadvantage, nothing could come between Pye and the invaluable and incomparable life experience granted by the program.
Pye was accepted into American University even before his gap year begun and planned to attend in the 2016 fall semester. Pye is currently undecided on his major still and is using his curiosity to continue enjoying the wonders of life as they hit him. Pye carried these lessons of hardships he learned and his broader perspective of the world to DC this fall.
“Along with his hair, I saw my brother’s appreciation for what he has grow after the trip,” said Sophie Pye, Alexander’s sister and a Grady sophomore.
Pye is forever grateful for the lessons he learned upon the trip, some educational and some not.
“The world is really big, man,” said Alexander Pye. “Like really! I think that was my biggest lesson,” he joked.
Not everything is how it used to be for Pye anymore, and he is a much better person because of it.