Blanka Brabcová

Student 1992/1993

My name is Blanka Brabcová, and I am from Brno, Czech Republic. I am one of the oldest alumnies of G.O. I spent school year 1992-1993 in Menasha, Wisconsin, so I have celebrated 21st anniversary this year.
My life is great and busy since that time. I am mother of three kids, Veronika 17yo, Matej 13yo, and Simon 11yo. They have changed my life very much as much as my stay in the U.S.
Before I had children I had worked for the Brno City Hall and in a private business as HR manager. After maternity leave I decided to leave the private sector, and I have started to work for NGO run by Czech Bishop Conference which is the National Centre for the Family where I have worked for 9 years now. I partly work for the Bishop Conference on different tasks concerning sociology of a family, family life, and partly on projects of European Social Fund which are mostly educational programs for women on maternity leave or women/mothers returning to a market place.

I create the programs together with my colleagues. I give speeches at conferences and workshops, even abroad.
Most of the women need to strengthen their selfconfidence and help to find their gifts, competences, and skills which they have gained even through the motherhood, and they can use them in their working life again.
Lately, I have been working with HR manageres on the topic: Work Life Balance. How to introduce measures to facilitate the harmonization of family and work in their companies and institutions so both employers and employees profit.
All my working positions have been influenced by my stay in the U.S. Firstly, it was the language because in my generation not that many people speak English. Secondly, it was a kind of leadership skills, independence, perspective and outlook I have gained through the year with Global Outreach. I have learned that everything is possible if there is a courage, good will, and also faith. Then it is easy to inspire other people for some goals, dreams, and succeed.
I am very happy that G.O. still continues, and that there are many students from the former eastern countries experiencing one year of personnal growth, exchages in many ways, and at the same time enriching people around them in the U.S. This upcoming school year will be very exeptional for me and my daughter Veronika because she has become Global Outreach student 2014/2015!
She will have her second home at the same place I had it many years

ago, we will share the same experince, know the same people and many new of our Global Outrech family. It is amazing!!!

There is a big difference to be a G.O. Student and to be a mother of a G.O. Student, and it is not easy to let the kid go away for 10 months. But I know she will be in a very good hands of her host family, G.O. Staff and God and that she will have wonderfull year and lifetime experince. There are friendships build for the whole life in Global Outreach Family, and we are happy to welcome some friends from U.S. in our country almost every year.
We can say that new generation starts in Global Outreach and I would wish to big Global Outreach family many blessings and great experiences.