2024: Ava’s Experience in India
“My experience in India was incredible. I met many amazing people and learned about their culture and day-to-day life. My favorite parts were visiting Eco Park in Munsiyari and hiking Khaliya Top. They were welcoming and incredibly kind. Throughout the trip, I learned about the differences between Vermont and India and it made me appreciate stuff I didn’t before. I recommend this trip to anyone who wants to experience Indian culture and make new connections.”
2024: Katie in Rwanda
“Having the opportunity to be able to take part in that trip has Inspired me to go back hopefully in the next few years. It was a life changing experience and I'm so grateful I got to take part in the incredible journey. Going on that adventure of a lifetime has made me excited to go on new adventures in the future! I met some really nice Rwandans along the way and some I still talk to pretty frequently to this day! One of my favorite experiences was the home stays. I remember one night, me and one of my host brothers Nixon, stayed up until 2 in the morning chatting about me and my life in Vermont as well as some things about him and his life in Rwanda. That amazing night has led me to the great connection we have to this day and I am so grateful for that. I will never forget the great memories and friendships I've made in Rwanda and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity that was given to me.”
“Although I did not personally know Cyrus, I really appreciate the work you have done in memory of him. I think it is incredible that you are willing and able to help Harwood students who want to experience life changing adventures like me!”
2024: Eleanor & Ayla in Rwanda
2023: Janelle’s Trip to India
“I’m so grateful that I received a LIFT scholarship so that I could go on this once in a lifetime trip. In India I met so many amazing people, saw the sights of city and rural life, and experienced beautiful culture. This trip was so special and I learned so much about India throughout it.”
2023: Summer’s Trip to Rwanda
“Thank you for my scholarship to Africa! It was such a life changing experience and I hope to return to Rwanda in the future. I will never forget the people I met and the friends I made. It is such a beautiful place and I am so lucky to have been able to experience it!”
2023: Mia’s Trip to Rwanda:
“I wanted to thank you and share a few thoughts and pictures from my trip. I became aware of this trip at the end of last school year, and It immediately piqued my interest. I've always loved the idea of traveling, and I have a long list of places I want to visit sometime in my life, but Rwanda was never on that list….. It was only when we finally landed in Rwanda after 18 hours of travel and stepped off the plane that it really felt real. The Airport we landed in was so small that it didn't have any of those connecting things that you usually had to go on, so we just got straight off the plane and down a flight of stairs onto the tarmac of the airport…. I immediately fell in love with the country. It was so beautiful and the people were some of the kindest I'd ever met…. I made lots of connections with the people there, and I hope to some point go back…. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that I was given, and for the help that you provided in my journey.”
2023: Ellie in Rwanda:
“I received a scholarship from L.I.F.T to help me go on the 2023 Rwanda Travel Study. It was a life-changing experience, I gained new friendships and knowledge. I will definitely go back at some point in my life. This would not have been possible without this support. Thank you so much!”
2019: AMELIA IN DENMARK:
“My trip to Denmark was amazing! I got to stay in a boarding school, so I met a lot of Danish kids and got to experience their school environment. On the weekend I went home with a Danish student and her family. It was really interesting to go through a regular day in the life of someone from another country. Throughout the week, I learned a lot about Denmark and their perspective on Americans. I made friends who I am still in touch with today, and also became a lot closer with the other Harwood students on the trip!”
2019: STEFAN IN GREECE AND ITALY:
“Because of L.I.F.T. I was able to check multiple things off my bucket list, such as going to the Colosseum, visiting Venice, and going to the Vatican. One thing that absolutely blew me away was running on the first ever track in Olympia. The fact that I was standing on the birthplace of the sport I still play today was incredible. I will never forget that experience or your generosity.”
2019: EMMA’s Trip to GREECE AND ITALY:
“Going to Greece and Italy was my first time traveling overseas and it was an awesome trip! I learned so much about the history of each country and saw some beautiful places. The Cyrus Zschau L.I.F.T program helped me experience something completely unforgettable. One of my favorite experiences was going to Florence and getting to see the beautiful old buildings and the incredible art in the Uffizi Gallery.”
2018: laili in rwanda
“I had such an amazing experience in Rwanda, the Cyrus Zschau L.I.F.T program helped me see new sights and form friendships that distance will never break. Thank you!!!!”
2018: Juliane in rwanda
Julianne shares a few pictures from her trip:
2018: Ayla’s Trip to Rwanda
“The most amazing part of my trip was getting to meet so many welcoming, happy Rwandans. I loved getting to experience their culture. Thank you so much for scholarship. I really appreciate it.”
2017: DREW in greece and italy:
In 2017, Drew received a L.I.F.T. from Cyrus and joined the Greece and Italy trip. 28 kids spent two weeks visiting ancient sites including the Oracle at Delphi...
"This whole new experience inspired me to want to travel more! I had never been out of the Northeast before—and gained so much cultural awareness. I didn’t realize how awesome it was until I got home: when I returned, all I wanted to do was go back."