Community - Curiosity - Family
Interacting with people face to face, digging my hands into garden soil, and coordinating camping trips - these activities that are rooted in sharing and collaborating keep me going.
I was born and raised in northern New Jersey with a younger brother and sister. From kindergarten through eighth grade, I went to a small school that many referred to as the “barn school.” Each morning, I would walk with my classmates to morning meeting. This was a time for us to be silent. But of course, as curious and energetic students, it was hard to resist the urge to catch up with one another. I enjoyed these quiet morning walks though. It was a time for me to check in with myself. I became aware of my environment - the winding paths, the red-shingled buildings and the signature green roofs of the “barn school”. In Moore hall, we all would sit criss-cross applesauce ready to listen to the daily poetry reading, announcements, plays, and performances. This close-knit community fostered my sense of curiosity and my love for learning. It also taught me the importance of communication and collaboration. My teachers encouraged me to ask questions, to work with others, and to look out for my classmates. I graduated eighth grade with a class of 20 and we all knew one another as if we were brothers and sisters. This warm community shaped me as a child. It nurtured my appreciation and awareness for the subtle things in life. The simplicity of a smile, the joy of a conversation, and the power of listening - the little, but important things in life. I am forever grateful for my grandmother and my family who made these transformative years possible. |
My teachers, family, and friends always encouraged me to be curious and to be aware of the environment around me. One day in music class, our teacher told us how our [my class’s] generation does not pay attention. While driving around, we look down at our devices and are blind to what is happening around us. This observation, which is sometimes true, upset me. I thought to myself that I did not want to be engrossed in my phone, but rather in the energy of the people and environment I was in. The norm that our teacher had painted for us in class fueled my curiosity and eagerness to learn about people, the environment, and the world rather than words on a screen.
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A sense of community continued to high school where I first learned to play American football. This team was a family. Practice was tough. And, through the blood, sweat, and tears with teammates, I was challenged to not feel sorry for myself. This phrase has stuck with me and is still something I grapple with today. Reflecting on it now, I think football has played a part in shaping my outward view in life by asking myself how to push myself and be there for others when the going gets tough.
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From a young age, I went to work with my father. He works in construction - a dynamic, energetic, collaborative and hands on field. As a kid I looked forward to meeting the workers, observing the trades, asking questions, cleaning up, you name it. With the cacophony of sounds - machines running, hammers pounding, and workers yelling, my ears rang at all times, but it was exciting. I carried this attentiveness with me off the job site too (and do so to this day). The sound of a fire, mail, dump truck, you name it caused me to jump from whatever I was doing, hop on my bicycle (if at home), and search for the source of action. If a home was being built down the block, I parked my bike at the edge of the site and watched with intent. This may have been nosy of me, but I would always try to ask a question to those working on the project. Utility workers on a late-night water main leak fix, postal workers dropping off mail, landscapers on their lunch break - the time to converse and entertain the idea of working was my way of procrastinating.
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A few of the activities mentioned above entail spending time outdoors. Biking and playing football are two of these activities, but this hobby has developed into much more since high school, especially over the past three years at Santa Clara. Being fortunate enough to lead other students into nature has also shown me the impact nature can have in fostering community, health, and so much more. My admiration for the environment has challenged my love of construction and the machines that play a role in polluting our environment. I look forward to working with teams in the future on projects that will sync more sustainable practices with development.
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Growing up, I was also fortunate to have a family and notably a mother who made cooking a daily occurrence. These were delicious meals, but their intention was much more than to eat great food. Sometimes we would laugh, sometimes fight, maybe cry, but we always had time to talk with one another. Dinner provided us all an opportunity to reflect on our day/week, to share, and to listen to each other. This was our time to catch up as a family.
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I have found it tough to figure out how to expand on my enjoyment of engaging with people by being both curious with questions and listening with an intent to learn. Going to school in the Bay Area sometimes makes it seem as though (blanket statement) technical skills are the answer to living a successful life. While this is true in many cases, there is something powerful about people connecting. In my mind, action research with the Miller Center is the perfect opportunity to develop technical skills with a focus on people and addressing unjust equilibriums.
As Emily and I dive into learning more about PICO Rwanda, we have begun to see that there really is something incredibly special about community and connecting with others. As the world faces a difficult task of building more sustainable and just communities, relationships are essential to addressing these issues. The next seven months will challenge me to build upon a love for connecting with others and learning. This fellowship is an essential part in a vocational journey to further develop skills grounded in a vision of empathy and compassion that will lead to future collaboration powerful enough to change the world. |