Global Issues Network // 2015
I had the chance to participate in SAAC Fine Arts 2016 which was hosted in my school. It was an incredible experience in which I was able to meet students my age that were as passionate about art as I am. Our artistic souls had the opportunity to explore and create through acting, dancing, painting and music.
During my freshmen year, I had the extraordinary opportunity of attending a G.I.N. Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Our project’s name was Kusikuy, and we had the following mission: “Our mission is to promote happiness in order to make life wonderful for every individual, to help the community enhance and embrace its culture and to brighten the world.” We did extensive research on laughter therapy, the sources of happiness, mindfulness, “flow”, etc. and after giving some presentations about our project in school, we went to Rio. It was an enlightening experience in which I got to learn about different problems in different communities from all over the world and meet passionate people.
This is a video we did about our project:
I continued working on in this project and did another presentation about happiness to the members of Santa Maria (a beach in Lima, Peru) in February (2016).
SAAC Fine Arts // 2016
COP 22 & GIN Morocco // 2016
During my sophomore year, I had the inspiring opportunity to take part in the United Nations' COP 22 in Marrakech, Morocco. It was the first time I traveled to a different continent and I was thrilled. Not only was it life changing because we got to listen to religious leaders speak about spirituality in climate change, or because we met people that were truly making a difference in this world. It was life changing because we started friendships and listened to people from all different cultures and ethnicities talk about problems devouring their communities.
On the other hand, we had the opportunity to watch the sunrise at the Sahara Desert and sing “Imagine” by John Lennon while watching the stars in a campfire. We had traditional Moroccan cuisine classes and walked around Souks (markets) filled with exotic spices, Aladdin-like lamps, and colorful pashminas. It opened my eyes to a unique culture and to the hope that we can help our planet.