The Globe for Good Podcast Emily Tafur

Why push outside the comfort zone? Jorge Ramirez takes us from his joyful childhood in Colombia, the simple pleasures of small town living and his fond memories around sports, to how and why he decided to turn his passion for sports into his vocation. A recent grad from Columbia University's Masters program in Sports Management, Jorge shared with me the important elements he wants to focus on within the sports industry - gender, fairness, social impact, growth -  and how he sees himself translating them to the sports space in Latin America.

From Norway to NYC to London to Stockholm, Maren Eline Markussen’s story is one that is - like her - in constant forward motion. From her safe and cold childhood in Norway, Maren told me all about her dreams of becoming an actress, and how even through visa struggles and work challenges, she has never lost sight of her goals and how important they are to her. This is a story that will make you laugh and inspire you to take a chance on yourself, just like Maren has time and time again. To fail and pick yourself up, re-invent yourself and re-define what success really means to you.

Álvaro García Maldonado grew up in Marbella, Spain, playing sports outside in the sunshine with his twin brother and younger brother, waking up every morning looking accross at the African continent. They grew up knowing, quite directly that there was a huge world out there, that there were hundreds of different ways of understanding life, exposed very early to multiculuralism. It's no surprise they all ended up abroad, and in Álvaro's case specifically: in Africa. Listen to find out what took him there and how it was a turning point for him and also how he ended up here, in NY, studying Sports Management at Columbia University?

How did a Bosnian learn to speak Spanish? In one of the most unbelievable stories of hardship and success, this week Enisa shared with me all about her journey immigrating to the US to work as an Au Pair Nanny for a wealthy family in the Hamptons, and why she stayed here. She recounts the memories she has of growing up in the Bosnian war and how it shaped her as a person and goes into the shock and joy it was to come to New York as a young Muslim in her early twenties. Her story is one of heartache, determination, courage and hope. 

Between his unusually supportive family and the unique grassroots sport he picked as an obsession, Nishaad's story is nothing short of impressive. Growing up in India, we get to hear about how untraditional his upbringing was within his culture, very un-academic and immersed at an early age in Table Tennis - or Ping-pong as some know it. Nishaad's obsession soon became a career in the sport and his talent at it took him far, even as much as to represent his country, all with a value system at home that encouraged a mantra of "do whatever you love, but do it 100%". Find out what happened to the table-tennis career, what advice Nishaad would give to young peers and what it was like for him to immigrate to NYC. 

What used to be NYIT International is now The Globe for Good Podcast: A journey to highlight the incredible and courageous stories of immigrants to the US from all walks of life and hailing from all corners of the planet. Join me, Emily Tafur - your host - as I dig curiously into the stories of athletes, students, parents, artists, laborers and more to find out what the "American Dream" really looks like in the 21st Century and to learn about international cultures from all over the globe! In this re-launch episode we learn how the transition came about, the main goals and backstory of the podcast and get a quick teaser into some of the exciting characters we'll get to meet in this first season. Welcome all!