Madison Lommen

Madi hails from Minneapolis with a passion for adventure and a heart for social justice. Her enthusiasm for public service sparked her interest in social entrepreneurship, which she hopes to explore more on a micro level with Global Citizen Year. Her goals for the year include re-committing herself to her values and aligning her lifestyle with such, becoming proficient in Spanish, and offering as much as she can to her soon-to-be-family. As Gandhi would say, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Moths and Other Frustrations

Madison Lommen

2016-06-01

Written December 30, 2015 It's 11:55 PM. We have just finished sitting down to a family meal of undercooked tilapia. I had no interest in eating so late, but it seems as if my host family follows the same meal routine regardless of what time we arrive home. Tomorrow we're bound for our New Year's...

The Year of 19

Madison Lommen

2015-12-05

Last week, I turned 19. While reflecting on my new year, I concluded that I feel much older than my actual age. If the fact that I was contently journaling to the soft tunes of Van Morrison and Ray Lamontagne while friends smoked cigars nearby was not enough of an indicator to lead me to such conclusion,...

An Interview with My Alma Mater

Madison Lommen

2015-12-03

To the adventurous, motivated, and restless high school senior: With January first just around the corner, ’tis the season for college frenzy. But in the midst of your preparations, remember that there is an option to ditch the hyperactive high school-college-work treadmill that keeps you so busy you don’t have time to stop and think...

Flash (Non)Fiction: Ecuadorian “Shorts”

Madison Lommen

2015-11-28

If you’re on Team Swiss when it comes to the world’s finest chocolate, I’m not sure who’s coaching; Ecuadorian chocolate is heavenly. That is, the indigenous brands whose product is harvested on native soil and sealed into bars worth precisely one dollar and sixty-seven cents. Monday afternoon found me in pursuit of exactly that. I was walking...

Introductions to Ibarra

Madison Lommen

2015-11-23

Note: My apologies to those who’ve asked for hoarding a number of blog entries since I arrived in Ecuador nearly three months ago. Posting, starting now–promise. I wrote this September 21st. Better late than never? 😐 Enjoy! Announcement: I’m living in…Ibarra! I’m working at…the Ecuadorian Red Cross! I discovered this news...

A New Chapter

Madison Lommen

2015-09-02

Today marks the first day of my bridge year. A new chapter waits to be written in Ecuador, where I will work and live with the support of an international network of 84 aspiring young leaders in four countries around the world: Brazil, India, Ecuador, and Senegal. As a global cohort, we have spent the...