As my sister Kelsyn graduates from college today, the world her oyster and the sky the limit, I can't help but reflect on the privilege American's have in growing up where we do, the opportunities we take for granted, and the relative ease with which we are able to secure clean water, safe shelter, education and medical care. One of the most important things about traveling is being able to witness what the majority of this world's population lacks, and to be humbled by the strength, resiliency and determination with which people in developing countries summon each day.

And it is because of my privilege as an American - as a middle-class white woman - that I feel compelled to travel around the world, learning from others and finding out how I might assist them in overcoming barriers to living their lives in dignity. This is what brought me to Kumasi, Ghana, West Africa.

Kelsyn, I am so proud of you for graduating today, and I know your time in South Korea will humble you as well, and that you too will find a way to use your English teaching to touch the lives of your students.