Kyle

United States
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Profile information

Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Description
Hello everyone! Kyle here 👋🏼

I was once voted as “the most likely to own a golden retriever”. While it was just a joke, it speaks to who I am as a person. My friends often say that I have an open mindset, positive demeanor, and am kind to others. I get a lot of energy from helping others and from learning new skills. I also like the feeling of accomplishing challenging tasks, like learning a new language or leading a team to complete a project.

I grew up in sunny Florida, in the United States. My family has an international background, and my parents even met while they were backpacking in Indonesia! This has influenced me a lot and I’m very passionate about cultural exchanges. At just 16 years old, I spent one year in The Netherlands (my country of birth), living with a Dutch family and attending a Dutch high school. I became fluent in Dutch and enjoyed the experience so much that I returned to The Netherlands in 2020 to live and work there full time.

For the past 3.5 years I’ve lived in Amsterdam and worked at a large technology company. While the experience was very rewarding and I learned a lot about creating meaningful business relationships, something inside of me told me that there was more to life than work and pursuing a large salary. So earlier this year, I decided to quit my job to go travel the world. I will be backpacking in South America for one year in pursuit of more meaningful experiences - helping others, learning about different cultures & languages, and developing a better understanding of myself as a person.

I am so excited to participate in volunteering opportunities through Workaway and hope that we get the chance to make a difference together!
Interests
Yoga / Wellness
Writing
Water sports
Team sports
Technology
Sustainability
Self development
Photography
Sailing / Boating
Nature
Outdoor activities
Music
Languages
History
Hiking
Gardening
Fitness
Farming
Dancing
Culture
Charity work
Cooking & food
Camping
Books
Beach
Animals
Adventure sports
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Dutch: Intermediate
More details about my language interests
I am able to teach English. In my experiences with study abroad programs, I have taught two people English to a fluent level. I am interested in learning Spanish. It is a big goal of mine to speak fluent Spanish in the next 12 months. I’d love your help!
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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Charity Work
Eco Projects
Teaching
Life at a Farmstay
Some knowledge of:
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Hospitality/Tourism
Able to teach about:
Languages
Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills
I’ve worked in sales in the technology field for the past six years. This has helped me become skilled in marketing, sales, communication, and negotiations. In my previous job I was an account manager for thousands of customers of a large technology company.

A passion of mine is public speaking. I have been a part of an international nonprofit called Toastmasters, where I have learned and taught others the skill of public speaking, storytelling, and effective communication. Learning to tell a story or to speak with confidence in front of a group can make a huge difference in one’s career as well as their relationships with other.

As a native English speaker, I can help tutor English students. I also speak Dutch at an intermediate level.

I have also worked as a tour guide at an outdoor adventure company where I led groups of 20 people on kayaking and paddle boarding tours. I taught them about the local animals and flora of my home in Florida.

Other skills:
-high proficiency with computers & technology
-sports: Football, tennis, juggling, unicycling, table tennis
Age
29
What else ...
I love reading fiction books (Murakami is one of my favorite authors), enjoying modern art, learning about history at museums and through documentaries. My favorite documentary director is Werner Merzog. I really enjoy spending time outdoors in nature and always feel my best when exercising and being active. I grew up on an island surrounded by the ocean, so love swimming, scuba diving, and kitesurfing.
I’m really looking forward to meeting others through workaway, learning about their lives, culture, and language. I’d also love to share stories about it my life and country with others. I’ve traveled to many countries and have many stories to share!
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  Penicillin
- Special dietary requirements

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Feedback

2 Feb 2025

Left by host (Help with gardening on a ...) for Workawayer ()

Kyle fue muy positivo y amistoso todo el tiempo. Muy interesado en aprender y siempre dispuesto a ayudar. Habla y entiende muy bien español. Es carismático y bastante curioso. Gracias por la ayuda. Buen viaje!

(Very good )

31 Dec 2024

Left by host (Volunteer at our school in ...) for Workawayer ()

Kyle had positive attitude and willingness to go above and beyond as a volunteer. He presented guiding skills within volunteer group as well as helping new volunteers get up to speed and helping the group with any tasks needing support (planning classes, filling in for other volunteers to teach classes). Kyle played an important role in helping… read more

(Excellent )

26 Oct 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Volunteer at our school in ...)

I volunteered here for three weeks in September of 2024. This was by far the most rewarding volunteering experience I’ve ever had. The memories I made with the students, the volunteers, and in Trujillo will stick with me for the rest of my life. Here are some of the things I loved, the challenges, and my recommendations to this host and future… read more volunteers.

The good:
-From when I first arrived to Trujillo, I was greeted at the bus station by Rosemary, the founder of the project, and the entire time I was surrounded by wonderful, caring, and dedicated volunteers. The people you volunteer with make all the difference. There is also Silvana (the house chef) and her son at the house each day who felt like family.
-The children are incredibly loving, are quick to bond with volunteers, and despite coming from the most challenging backgrounds, they really want to learn and work hard.
-The project does not just impact the students, but there is a wider community of moms, disabled children, and women who benefit from the organization. The organisation has a terrific reputation in Trujillo.

The not so good:
-While the living conditions for volunteers is comfortable, there were times where many volunteers got sick with the flu, or got sick from the house food. We also lost electricity, WiFi, and hot water in parts of the house for several days. This was fixed after a little while but not having the essentials for several days was frustrating.
-The conditions of the school are very minimal. The buildings are basically sheet metal and basic plywood. Students often lack the basic materials they need to complete school work (pencils, etc.). Bathroom facilities are not clean. This is the reality of this part of Peru and how many of the students live. It was shocking to many volunteers, but is something you have to work with.
-The organisation is highly reliant on having enough volunteers. If there are less volunteers, you will likely need to work both the mornings and afternoons. You also need to prepare your classes the night before. The time commitment can be demanding.
-When preparing classes, it often felt like volunteers were reinventing the wheel each time and creating new material each day. There are resources and books to use to create your classes, but there is a lot of room for improvement in making it easier for volunteers to find material for their classes and a clearer structure to the schools curriculum.

My recommendations to volunteers:
-The longer you stay, the more you and the students will benefit. After two weeks, I felt that I had the students respect, had formed bonds with them, and was confident running classes. It takes a bit of time to into the groove of things, so give yourself some time if you have it.
-You get out of it what you put into it. By preparing classes ahead of time, being creative, and really making an effort to benefit the students, you can make a real difference. This should not be a place you go to if you just want cheap accommodation. Volunteer here if you feel that you will really put your heart into it.

Recommendations:
-Centralize the resources that volunteers need for their classes into a folder on the computers. Make it easy for a volunteer to find worksheets & materials to use each day for their classes.
-Focus on sharing the stories of how much Rosemary & the organisation have impacted the students and the community. I heard some incredible stories while volunteering, but they aren’t on the website or social media. More people should know about the incredible work that is being done here!

TLDR: volunteer here, you won’t regret it!

(Excellent )

17 Sep 2024

Left by host (Join us and our students ...) for Workawayer ()

We had such a great experience with Kyle! Our students benefited greatly from his speaking sessions, which were consistently engaging and innovative. We appreciate your dedication and contribution to our students' learning experience. Thank you, Kyle, for your time and effort. We wish you the best.

(Very good )

17 Sep 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join us and our students ...)

My favorite part about volunteering here was the feeling that we really made a difference for these students and their future. You will hear from nearly all of the students about their hopes and dreams of moving abroad for work or university. The better their English abilities are, the bigger the chance is that they’ll realize their dreams. You… read more

(Very good )

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