With my big sister, Katie, showing off our 90’s fashion
A lot of people have helped shape me into the person I am today, and I will be forever grateful to each of them for the countless ways they contributed to my growth and joyful experience of life thus far. Growing up in sunny Menlo Park, California, my parents instilled in me a life of adventure, leadership, and compassion. However, it is my big sister, Katie, whom I have to thank for starting me on this journey toward the Global Social Benefit Fellowship. Over 14 years ago, my church announced it would be piloting a trip to Juarez, Mexico as its first family mission trip. This four-day trip, deemed suitable for children ages seven and up, consisted of building houses and running a vacation bible school for kids. Katie, age 10, announced to my family that we were going. My parents were reluctant, seeing as they had never been on a trip like this themselves, and I, their baby, who also happened to be the pickiest eater on the planet, turned seven only days before we left. Yet somehow, in February of 2001, my family found itself on the road to Juarez, embarking on a journey that would change our lives.
7-year-old me on top of the house we built in Juarez
That trip to a community just outside Juarez opened our eyes to the reality of those living in poverty. It showed me that the world was much bigger than I knew, and taught me that not everyone lived like I did. But most importantly, through the giggles of the children I played with and the gratitude displayed by the families, I learned that true wealth could be found in the poorest of physical circumstances. At a young age I understood that there was so much more to life than material possessions. In the following years my family went on two trips to Guatemala, where I completely fell in love with Latin American culture and the Spanish language.
Here I am, 14 years later, preparing to return to the very country that changed my life. I can confidently say that Mexico has had more of an impact on me than anywhere else. In the years following that first trip to Juarez, not only have I expanded my palate past grilled cheese and chicken nuggets, but I have also returned to Mexico several more times. With my high school youth group I traveled to Mexicali five times, visiting the same church community each year. Through making friendship bracelets with the teenagers, pushing toddlers on swings, and learning to make empanadas with the women, I have built meaningful relationships with these families and they will always hold a special place in my heart. I love returning year after year and seeing so many familiar faces and watching the kids grow up.
Celebrating my birthday in Mexicali by receiving a cake in the face
This year I was particularly blown away by the hospitality of the Mexicali community. Not only did one of the women bake a homemade cake to celebrate my 21st birthday, but at their Sunday church service I was also introduced to one of their beautiful traditions. Everyone who had a birthday that week stood at the front of the church and one by one each person in the room gave us a hug. This physical act so powerfully illustrates their kindness and generosity, as well as the spiritual and emotional closeness we share. Through worshipping, eating, and laughing together I have learned that although our cultures and backgrounds carry diversity, in the end we are all human. I have come to love that we can learn so much from each other while also sharing in the fundamentally human aspects that connect all people around the globe.
With my wonderful host family in Buenos Aires
These experiences instilled in me a passion for experiencing new cultures and building relationships with those around the world. Last fall I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, providing me the opportunity to live outside of the United States for four months. I stayed with an amazing host family who welcomed me into their Argentine way of life while helping me practice Spanish. As a part of the academic component of my program, I conducted interviews with community health workers and other health professionals. As I reflect back on my first trips to Latin America in which I knew no more than “¿como te llamas?” I see how far I’ve come and am so grateful for the opportunity to use the Spanish language to connect with those health workers in Argentina. I am excited to relate with people in this way in Mexico and improve my language skills while working with Sistema Biobolsa.
While my travels have taught me that possessions do not buy happiness and that people living in poverty often express so much faith and joy, that hasn’t kept the injustice of inequality from tugging at my heart. Rather it has done quite the opposite; in connecting with people around the world I see them not as others but as my family, and consequently feel much more frustrated that not everyone is offered the resources and opportunities I have grown up with. Over the past few years I’ve grown particularly passionate about health disparities and the global injustice of human trafficking. As I learn more about these issues, I see poverty as a key factor, so deeply intertwined with a whole host of problems, and I feel compelled to work toward a more equal and just world.
As a result of my experiences abroad paired with my Christian faith, I see my calling in life as one to love others and help provide them with health, education, and other human rights, whether it is here in the U.S. or across the world. The social enterprise model excites me because of its mission to put people first while empowering the community and serving them in a more sustainable way. In the Global Social Benefit Fellowship I feel that I have found a place to use my passions and talents to help the world, and for that I could not be more grateful or excited.