Photo: Stan Rosenberg on a tour of the Grand Canyon, "The trip that started it all."(Trip of a Lifetime/Facebook)
While he was still in high school, Stan Rosenberg's parents sent him on the trip of a lifetime: a solo adventure exploring the West Coast. Some kids with his good fortune might take it for granted, feel entitled, wonder why everyone else isn't doing the same. Not Stan. He's channeling his gratitude to fuel widespread wanderlust.
Now a sophomore at NYU, Stan started the Trip of a Lifetime grant program to finance all expense paid cross-country excursions for young people who otherwise might not have the opportunity. After all, travel ain't cheap, yo. Plane and bus tickets, park admissions, food, lodging, insurance, cameras, souvenir t-shirts, gas station sunglasses, cheesy postcards and kitschy keychains add up. The organization has already raised over $100,000 and sent a dozen young people out on the road; plans for more vacations are in the works.
Why is it so important to him to make travel accessible? Well, aside from exploring our country, its national parks, its unsung communities (and regional diner grub), aside from making new friends and breaking out of comfort zones, Stan believes we can be better people because of it.
In a Q&A on the Trip of a Lifetime website, he says: "Before I went on the trip I was kind of a shy kid, quiet. I had some friends and stuff, but really after the trip my whole life changed around. I gained new leadership and confidence skills. ... One of our goals is for students to use what they learn to impact their communities, whether that's starting their own charity, setting up a club, helping out other students or volunteering. We want them to become leaders."
If you're a 9th-grader in Westchester County, NY, you can apply for next summer's grants here. If you're not, you can rock the t-shirt (represent!) and start the search for a travel scholarship program near you. (Hint, hint: See below.)
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