Asked to describe myself as a child, I would tell you I was independence with a dose of deep curiosity. Today, this statement still holds true as I value individual freedom, strongly commit to my personal decisions, and crave new experiences. I largely credit this to my unique family dynamic. My family does not take a traditional form with my parents separated and step parents on both sides. My mom’s family is largely of Polish descent with unknown origins of European “mutt.” On my dad’s side, both of my grandparents moved to America while in their young twenties. My grandma, from Nicaragua, and my opa (grandpa), from Hungary, barely knew enough English to communicate with one another before marrying and having five children. Moreover, my stepmom is Japanese. And thus, I was raised with the normalcy of hearing Spanish at home, making special trips to the Hungarian market, and enjoying Japanese dishes on the holidays. I grew up surrounded by a mixture of culture which opened my curiosity to the world from a young age.
With my only sibling being ten years older than me, I spent a lot of my time at home absorbed in the world of reading. I easily lost track of time when I had a book in my hands, and it was painful putting one book down without another to immediately turn to. I was drawn to the realm of fantasy and admired the strong characters I met through the pages, longing to be a part of their adventures as they explored and shaped the world around them. I knew that I, too, wanted to be able to independently go out and explore the world.
But first, I had to actually learn about it.
Enjoying fries and friendship in Haarlem, Netherlands for a senior year MUN conference
When I entered high school, I signed up for something I knew very little about, but that left the greatest mark on those four years – Modeled United Nations. Each year, I participated in four conferences representing different nations across the world and adopting their policy to form solutions on a wide variety of global issues ranging from child labor to Kosovo’s independence. I remember watching the film Hotel Rwanda early on in my high school experience and walking out of the class in a daze, shocked that I had never heard of the genocide before that class. Shocked that the world had known and done so little. Shocked by the realization that I lived an incredibly sheltered life in Surf City, USA and actually knew so little about the social injustices of the world. All of a sudden, my eyes felt incredibly open and I was overwhelmed by a desire to understand the realities of the world more deeply.
This occurred in an unexpected way. One of my best friends in high school was strongly tied to a Christian camp in a small town in Michigan. One summer, her family invited me to come with them to the place my friend spoke of with only love, praise, and deep attachment. I deeply wanted to understand this side of her and be able to share in her experience, but the only catch? I wasn’t really raised in the church, had zero relationship with any higher being, and considered myself a firm atheist. But I still decided to go and largely for two reasons: I knew little about the faith itself and didn’t want to be an ignorant atheist (so why not go to Christian camp and learn more, right?), and this would be my first opportunity to travel to the Midwest.
Camp counseling with a friend
It took me by surprise when I fell in love with Bair Lake Bible Camp. I loved how different it was from Southern California with a corn field right across the street, soda being called “pop,” and seeing pine trees at a time other than celebrating Christmas at home. I was fascinated by the discovery of culture within my own country, and even more fascinated by the discovery of faith. I came in with the mindset that I was right in my beliefs and would come out of Bible camp feeling more right. But then I made friends, listened to them share their faith, and watched them as they worshipped and loved the Lord. I realized faith was more than rules to live by, but is centered around a loving relationship. That openness to other beliefs changed everything for me as I became a Christian and radically transformed the way I saw myself. I found a greater sense of belonging and purpose to lead a life with a focus on serving others.
I realized the people of this world have a whole lot to offer. I wanted to seek all of it.
Hence, I entered college with a deep curiosity to discover new cultures, landscapes, and ways of being. I was disappointed when I ended up at Santa Clara University in my own home state. I wasn’t disappointed for long. Instead, I quickly embraced a newfound sense of independence from simply living outside of home and being surrounded by a plethora of new people. Staying in California and attending a Jesuit institution also enabled me to travel further across the globe than I thought I’d ever be able to.
Jumping for joy in Sipi Falls, Uganda
Last summer, I received the Jean Donovan Fellowship through which I was able to go to Uganda for five weeks and serve at an orphanage and primary school. Besides a MUN conference in Haarlem, Netherlands this was my experience traveling outside of the United States…and I was going solo. Although I was connected to an international volunteer organization, I hopped on a plane with a whole lot of fear, excitement, and unknowns swirling in my mind. My time in Uganda was simultaneously beautiful and heart breaking as I personally engaged with those experiencing a life incredibly different from my own. I had started this journey with the idea that I would “get out” my long-lasting sense of adventure and knowing the world through this trip. I returned to America knowing my life had been changed forever, my sense of knowing the world deeply and engaging with it meaningfully was stronger than before, and I could no longer enjoy or view my life in the same manner.
Meeting my Hungarian family for the first time
Following my time in Uganda, I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Cork, Ireland. I loved being part of University College Cork, meeting the Irish and becoming their team member on cross country, and exploring the beautiful nation. Yet I couldn’t help feeling like something was missing; it wasn’t satisfying to see the world through the lens of a tourist only. I wanted to know a place, the language, the culture, and the struggles that people face. In fact, my favorite part about living abroad was forming meaning through human connections and relationships. My first week in Ireland, I was ecstatic because I happened to meet Ugandans also studying at the University College Cork. I was blown away by how small the world appeared after traveling in it. My favorite trip abroad was traveling to Hungary where I met my Hungarian relatives for the first time and explored my heritage as they generously showed me their country. I fell in love with throwing myself out into the world, meeting its people, and growing and learning from all of it. Home was no longer confined to Huntington Beach or Santa Clara, but it became a much broader, meaningful connection to various locations.
It seemed a natural progression, then, to be drawn to the Global Social Benefit Fellowship and I am honored to be a part of it. I believe in people, and I am passionate about each individual having the ability to reach their full potential. This passion draws me to the field of social entrepreneurship which emphasizes respect and agency. I hope to learn the intricacies behind social entrepreneurship, explore a potential career interest, be challenged in my learning and shaped by this experience. I am incredibly excited by this opportunity to work with All Across Africa, experience Rwanda and Uganda, and serve and learn from others.
Home Is a Beautiful Connection of People and Places