Editor’s Note: This post is part of our series celebrating our Guiding Stars, the Local Guides who went above and beyond to make a difference in 2021, on Google Maps and off. Read more here.
In 2021, Local Guides continued to stay in touch through virtual meet-ups and amazing initiatives on Connect, but many also took steps outside to support their local communities when it was safe to do so. These ten Guiding Stars showed us what community means by building bridges, promoting dialogue, kicking off new initiatives, and cheering on others.
To celebrate their dedication, we wanted to highlight some of the ways they connected others in 2021.
Recognizing peers on different channels
Building community and recognizing fellow Local Guides are at the core of everything that Adrian ( @AdrianLunsong ) does. He is our only Guiding Star to be honored for two years standing. In 2021, Adrian hosted a cooking series, virtual panels, and month-long celebrations for Connect’s 5th birthday on Connect, his YouTube channel, and social media. All this to showcase other Local Guides through their own stories.
Chiara ( @ChiaraMariaC ) nurtures connections on Connect and her social platforms by showing her support and love for the community. She applauds her Local Guides peers and collaborates with them on ways to help others through Google Maps.
Connecting through culture
Luigi ( @LuigiZ ) found a way to the hearts of many Local Guides through food, one of the elements of Italian culture. He has connected with others over homemade pizza, a traditional pasta recipe, and more.
Meanwhile, Maricha’s ( @Marichams ) contributions on Connect and Google Maps spark cultural dialogue. She constantly looks for ways to engage with the community, eager to share about her Dominican heritage and learn more about other Local Guides’ home countries.
Supporting local communities
Fostering connections is what makes Erna, Karen, Stephen A., and Pavel stand out in their communities.
A long-standing advocate for women’s empowerment, Pavel ( @PavelSarwar ) uses Google Maps as a powerful tool for educating others and making an impact on women in his community.
Karen ( @KarenVChin ) and Stephen A. ( @StephenAbraham ) are all about supporting local businesses and helping those in need through their #LocalGuidesSupportAsiansBusinesses and #FoodBanks initiatives. They also hosted a number of virtual meet-ups in 2021 to celebrate festivals, share about their Local Guides goals, and simply get together with others!
Erna ( @Erna_LaBeau ) initially joined a Local Guides meet-up to find connections, but quickly became one of the well-known names in our community. This year, she actively took part in the #StateChallenge series, championed accessibility in her city and beyond, and helped spread the word about Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
Bringing Local Guides together
A true Community Builder, Brian ( @br14n ) set up a new community of Local Guides in Banyuwangi, some 300 kilometers from his home in Batu, while remaining a driving force behind the Batu Local Guides group. Photo walks, food crawls, map editing meet-ups — there seems to be no end to Brian’s creativity when it comes to keeping the community spirit alive.
Similarly, Isaac ( @Mayford ) focuses on building connections with his fellow Local Guides in Nigeria. He also finds inspiration in helping locals and tourists alike through his great lists on Google Maps, setting high standards for his contributions.
Join us in congratulating our Community Builders in the comments below!
I´ve had the privilege to meet some of these amazing guys, and it´s truly remarkable how they have helped to connect so many people within this community and through Google Maps. 1000 Kudos to all!
the only one who can’t speak their language! Brian is very active.
but thank God for the non-partial Google team who are able to painstakingly make this selection of 50 (now 99) amazing people who keep paving the way for us all and showing us how it’s done!
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