Photo: Brittny Parsells-Johnson both serves on the board of Global Citizen Adventure Corps and lives out its name. A high school exchange program in Ecuador launched a personal and professional path as a global citizen that has taken her to 30 countries.
Dresden, Tenn.–Rotary Youth Exchange promises to “build peace one young person at a time” as Rotary Club-sponsored students ages 15-19 travel to one of more than 100 countries, learn a new language, discover another culture, and become global citizens.
They certainly got a return on their investment when young Brittny Parsells of New Hampshire participated in their short-term student exchange program in Ecuador. Not only did she live with a family in Quito for six weeks and host her Ecuadoran “sister” to the U.S., she then committed to a lifetime of study and work around the world.
After further studies in Egypt, Guatemala, and Morocco; a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland; and a Master of Arts in International Human Rights from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, she was prepped for a career path that’s included time at a study abroad organization, then at a think tank for international security issues, and her current role at the U.S. Department of State.
As a Program Analyst in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, she oversees initiatives in Latin America designed to strengthen civic engagement and participation in democratic processes, promote freedom of expression and association, and protect marginalized and underrepresented populations.
“Our role is to make sure that our foreign policy takes into consideration human rights,” she explained. “We provide small grants for human rights organizations. For example, we support efforts to protect journalists in Latin America because Latin America is the most dangerous for journalists. We also work with groups who defend the environment because there are so many interests that want to mine the Amazon or otherwise do harm and that also falls under our support.”
And now her global perspective has reached West Tennessee as she also devotes time as the Board Secretary for Global Citizen Adventure Corps, a travel service learning nonprofit based in Dresden dedicated to creating global citizens like Brittny.
How a native of New Hampshire and world traveler wound up in a leadership role in West Tennessee is a matter of the heart. She’s now Brittny Parsells-Johnson and her husband Jeff Parsells-Johnson taught sociology at Bethel University in McKenzie. That role connected him to fellow teacher/sociologist Stacie Freeman who also serves as Bethel’s Global Studies Director.
The Parsells-Johnsons left West Tennessee for Washington, D.C. in 2022. That same year Freeman was forming GCAC with Co-Founder Julie Hill. Freeman thought her trivia- and pickle ball-loving friend was exceptionally well-suited to serve on the nonprofit’s board.
“First, she’s brilliant,” Freeman noted. “Second, she brings a wealth of professional experience in the study abroad sector to GCAC, having worked with similar providers. And currently, she is employed by the U.S. Department of State, which further enhances her understanding of the challenges we face in the field and in the world.”
Parsells-Johnson would like to see other youth equipped with the global perspective travel has provided her.
“I think I can relate to kids in McKenzie and the area because I grew up in a rural part of the country as well. I want them to have the opportunity to see the world, to expand their horizons. It made a huge difference in my life,” she said.
“So many of the kids at Bethel and that part of West Tennessee struggle to pay for their college. When we were there, I saw many working two jobs to pay the bills. So, the scholarships we provide are extremely important,” she added regarding the nonprofit’s fundraising to assist in covering costs for its programs.
Describing herself as curious, empathetic, and adventurous, she sees how each trait is expanded when she’s traveling.
“Traveling and meeting other people makes you realize that we are all just people and doing our best,” she noted. “There’s a kinship and camaraderie. I’m better able to see that we have a lot in common — care for our families and our homes — and that comes from experiencing other parts of the world.”
Parsells-Johnson has also discovered saying “yes” to opportunities when they arise means adding adventures. Her recent three-month stint at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia, is one example.
“I was scared and intimidated, but I thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she explained regarding the experience that ultimately added to her understanding of Latin America and offered some pretty spectacular views.
“I went to Lake Titicaca which was a dream. People hear about it because the name is funny, but it was great to actually go,” she said of the freshwater expanse in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru.
Another fun adventure and view came from yet another form of transportation in Bolivia’s capital city.
“Public transportation is done via gondolas through the air. It’s called the Teleférico system. It’s how I commuted to work each day,” she pointed out, “It’s really cool.”
With her curiosity and commitment to learning, more adventures await this admitted global citizen. Though she didn’t quite meet her goal of traveling to 30 countries by her 30th birthday, she thinks she’s hit that now at 35. And, since one thing travel teaches is flexibility, she is ready to adjust her thinking, adding, “Maybe I’ll make 40 by 40!”
Global Citizen Adventure Corps is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to cultivating global citizens through education, service, and travel. By offering transferable college credit and donor-funded scholarships, GCAC actively builds pathways between rural high schools, universities, and a robust network of global nonprofit partners to provide travel program opportunities to underserved students. For more information visit www.globalcitizenadventurecorps.org.
Brittny Parsells-Johnson both serves on the board of Global Citizen Adventure Corps and lives out its name. A high school exchange program in Ecuador launched a personal and professional path as a global citizen that has taken her to 30 countries. One recent adventure included a work commute via the Teleférico in La Paz, Bolivia.