Hey! I’m Marlie Bergstrom and I’m so excited to be the ATL for team Peru this Summer. I’ve been involved with Youthlinc since 2020 when I was a Freshman in High School! I’m graduating this year and I couldn’t be more grateful for the lifelong friendships and memories I have made with Youthlinc. It has allowed me to see the world from a new perspective and be more open to the different ways people live. I’ve been fortunate to be a part of four teams so far and it is so incredibly rewarding to experience different dynamics and take advantage of my place on each team. I am studying entrepreneurship next year with hopes to start my own sustainable activewear brand and work with different women from all over the world to help allow them to expand their business market outside of their immediate area. this wouldn’t be possible without the experiences I have shared with my fellow Youthlinc teammates. I love Youthlinc and serving different communities more than anything in the world and I’m positive I will continue my involvement for many years to come!
My favorite Youthlinc memory is when i went on a home visit in Nepal last year. we got to meet a buddhist leader who told us all about buddhist teachings and traditions. he told us about why meditation is so important to buddhist people. it is used to feel liberated, centered, and relaxed. many highly devoted buddhists will meditate for days or even weeks at a time, often only stopping for food and water once a day. it was amazing to hear about that sense of clarity that they’re able to achieve. this man we talked to is also a local doctor who is able to heal people through prayer, spiritual guidance, and physical healing methods. he is highly connected to his faith which makes this possible and is a very common practice. one of my favorite parts of traveling abroad is learning about the day to day lives and traditions of people from all over the world. that is why i love home visits so much because it allows us to experience more intimate conversations to connect with people in a more meaningful way
