Though she has only explored one region so far, the lessons she's learned have been myriad. We were lucky enough to catch up with her just as she was about to leave New York City for her Fellowship. To hear her reflections on her time in the Big Apple was heartening. We hope reading them will inspire you!

If you find this conversation fascinating, don't hesitate to start an application. Our applications for our 2027-2028 cohort are open!

Hi Ayira! Let's start with beginnings. Could you share your story of coming to Baret—how did you find out about us, and why did you decide to join?

Ayira : My story, I'd say, isn't as elaborate as some others. I discovered Baret through friends in my school who were in the second cohort. At that point in my life, I knew for sure that I wanted to take a gap year and travel, but I didn't want it to be completely unstructured. Baret is that perfect mix of structure and freedom to do what you want and the space to do it in a way that helps you grow and develop.

If I went on a gap year fully by myself, I wouldn't face the hurdles that force you to grow—and I wanted to grow and better myself before my first year of university.

What parts of the program do you feel are helping you grow so far?

Ayira: For sure the Morning Program, because I'm being exposed to a really large and diverse array of career choices and people with deep experience in their fields. It encourages me to envision myself in these different career paths and adds to my overall knowledge of the job space.

More informally, planning my day after the Morning Program is a skill I'm yet to refine, but I realized it's such an essential life skill. I map out the activities I want to do in my Notes app per day. Another ritual is having lunch with people for conversation—our cohort really likes bonding over food, especially in a new country when you're discovering stuff like a bacon, egg, and cheese or a chopped cheese.

Bacon, egg and cheese, a New York classic! What has been a favorite experience for you in New York?

Ayira Browne: We went to watch a jazz concert, and I was looking for people to interview for my capstone project. A girl overheard me talking about my project and said, "Oh, actually I'm a DJ from Australia and I'd love to chat!" We had a heartwarming conversation that I filmed for my video essay. It was a nice glimpse into the diversity of New York and how you never know who you're going to talk to.

Tell us more about your plans for your Capstone Project and your work as an artist.

Ayira: I'm exploring the effects of globalization and intercultural exchange on creativity, asking people whether they feel their creativity is being infringed on or developed by global interconnectedness. I'm just trying to interview artists as I meet them. For example, the DJ from Australia. They felt that as long as you recognize where culture comes from and "give those people their flowers," you can make do with it what you will, which felt right to me.

The other half of my capstone is to compose an original jazz piece. Piano is my main instrument, but I also play guitar and marimba, sing from time to time, and write poetry and short descriptive stories.

How has your Afternoon Program course been going? You're taking Ronan MacRory's Filmmaking course, correct?

Ayira: Our first session was fascinating. We explored the city, and we were told to choose a word to emulate through our cameras. My group chose the word "entrapment," walking around New York to capture scenes conveying that feeling of being trapped or claustrophobic in a big city. Ronan is very passionate about what he does, and that passion affects us and makes us passionate about what we're doing.

Which upcoming destinations are you most looking forward to?

Ayira: Brazil—São Paulo and I'm hoping to take a side trip to Rio—mainly because I love Bossa Nova and Samba, but also for the beach and weather. I'm also definitely looking forward to New Delhi in India because I've never been to Asia. India is like a whole entity in itself with its culture, food, and music—even the non-Western traditional musical scales they use. I just really want to see that in action and live that hustly-bustly life.

What are your plans after your year with Baret?

Ayira: I'm applying to university this year on a pre-law track. I'll probably major in political science and minor in film and media studies, so I get a mix of both the worlds I love—combining humanities, history, and creative arts.

Thanks so much for sharing your journey so far with us! We can't wait to see what you do next.

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