Leaving Chinese-occupied Tibet in 1959, the Dalai Lama and many refugees,  welcomed by Jawaharlal Nehru, found refuge in Dharamsala, India. 

In 2010 Kayla lived in Dharamsala, now the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile. She volunteered with several organizations to support communities' efforts to provide schools, health care and support services for the more than 120,000 Tibetan refugees remaining in India. She was also able to see the Dalai Lama, which she described as “one of the most profound spiritual experiences” of her life.

The Tibetan cause is really incredible, and sitting with these people and hearing their stories and then teaching them English and then watching a film on Chinese brutality, [it] has all come together to cause me some heartache, as it’s so much sorrow to take in and it surrounds you here. (Kayla’s blog, 5/11/10)