Civic Learning and Community Engagement

“You start dying slowly..

If you do not travel, If you do not read, If you do not listen to the sounds of life, If you do not appreciate yourself. You start dying slowly when you kill you self-esteem, When you do not let others help you. You start dying slowly if you become a slave to your habits,

Walking everyday on the same paths…if you do not change your routine. If you not wear different colors or you do not speak to those you don’t know.

You start dying slowly if you avoid to feel passion and its turbulent emotions, those that make your eyes glisten and your heart beat fast.

You start dying slowly if you do not change your life when you are not satisfied with your job, or with your love, or with your surroundings.

If you do not risk what is safe for the uncertain, If you do not go after a dream, If you do not allow yourself, At least once in your lifetime, To run away from sensible advice.”

-Pablo Neruda

I cannot remember a time in my life when I was not community involved, or was not helping others. My mother was a member of a local cancer charity organization therefore my siblings, friends, neighbors and I were all recruited to help this charity in fund raising efforts; a lemonade stand, a car wash, a house tour volunteer. My middle school and high school years involved feeding the homeless, mission trips to underserved communities and camp counseling in multiple locations. Throughout all of these experiences I always felt I was gaining more than I was giving.

I was excited to start at Mason, to go out of my box and be involved. In sophomore year I became a student Ambassador, sharing my passion for Mason to prospective students. I never forgot that I once was new to Mason, new to the college experience; I wanted to bring my compassion and enthusiasm to all I could. My mantra: “never forget where you came from” is one I pass on to others; I never forgot that I was a new, scared freshman from Miami who was excited about starting a new chapter in my life but not knowing how to start. I learned that my vulnerabilities became my strength.

In junior year I work with the Mason Live program, working with students with learning differences. It was during this experience that I found my passion for advocacy and social justice. In this program I mentored students by joining them in class, altering their curriculum to assignments that were attainable and helping them gain that “college” experience that they could be proud of.

My senior year, as a member of the LEAD program, has enhanced my skills in leadership, mentoring and various aspects of community engagement. The experience at Hampton Middle School especially stands out; mentoring adolescents and teaching them the skills they need to learn, grow and start to be the person that want to be.

 

 

We don’t grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges’