Dallas Teen Inspires Change in the World via Education, Travel, and Service
DALLAS, June 21, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Alexis Soria is a young woman on a mission and she's got a lot of supporters cheering her on along the way. Last month, Alexis participated in a comprehensive global service learning program in Costa Rica, thanks to generous grants and support that came in from multiple sources after Alexis was awarded a Bright Light Volunteers scholarship sponsored by DFW's Hispanic 100 ? a nonprofit organization that promotes Hispanic women's leadership roles in the private and public sector.
After receiving the H-100 scholarship, Alexis was awarded additional support in the form of aRoad Scholarship from the Student Youth Travel Association (SYTA)as well as support fromSi Se Puede,an organization that provides advice to students to work for academic success, encourage volunteering, and help students grow into leadership positions.
Alma Garcia, Board Member of Bright Light Volunteers says, "The fact that several nonprofits jumped in and helped leverage a small scholarship from H100 into being able to completely fund this opportunity for Alexis is powerful and will, no doubt, have ripple effects throughout our community."
Alexis, now a Junior at DISD'sIrma Lerma Rangel School Young Women's Leadership School,isn't new to this sort of experience. Last year, thanks in part to private sponsorships, Alexis served in the highlands of the Sacred Valley in Peru where she spent time teaching, aiding in the construction of water filtration system, and immersing herself in the people and culture of Peru.
Recently we got to sit down and debrief with Alexis after she returned home from her latestglobal service learningexperience in Costa Rica and asked her some questions to get a sense of how these experiences have shaped her life and future ambitions:
BLV: What has the opportunity to serve, learn, and lead meant for you?
AS: To serve means that I take a part of my community into another country and plant a seed there. To learn means learning about other cultures and finding ways we can help. We don't know the struggles other cultures have until we engage with them. To lead means bringing what I learn in other countries to my local community; international education allows me to stretch and grow.
BLV: Has this experience changed you in any way?
AS: Yes ... it has changed me in different ways. I learned that we have a lot of commodities living in the U.S. and people in other parts of the world don't have the basic necessities (toothbrush, towel, bed, etc.) to not only survive ... but to thrive. In America we hustle, hustle, hustle and take a lot for granted. In other countries, people value other things like family and tradition.
BLV:Is it important to travel? Why or why not?
AS: Yes. It is important because we get to learn how other people live, their culture and traditions. You learn a lot about how communities work together within a country. In Costa Rica, for example, everyone is laid back, but they do not take anything for granted. A local man explained how their country recovered from the last hurricane by every person contributing in the restoration process. It takes a lot of heart and pride from its inhabitants.
BLV: What are your dreams for yourself and how do you plan to get there?
AS: My dream(as a little girl) was to become a doctor. But the more I learn about the lack of respect for the Mexican community (we are always bashed; we are not appreciated), I want to be a role model for other Mexican girls to love their heritage and help empower the Mexican community. I have volunteered helping Mexicans complete immigration forms and being an activist as a way to gain awareness of the immigration crisis. Doing something in the immigration field would put me in a position to be encouraging and show compassion to those entering our borders.
Bright Light Volunteers is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, designed to empower program participants and community partners through education and service. Specifically, our programs adhere to global service-learning best practices, which combine community service with both experiential learning in the field and online coursework through our university partner, Bethel University. Our vision is to make the world a brighter place by creating a more peaceful, just, interconnected world where global challenges and opportunities are met by educated, compassionate, global citizens and leaders.
The Hispanic 100 is a network of D/FW-area Latina leaders who are committed to increasing business development opportunities for Hispanic, women-owned businesses and to promoting Hispanic women's leadership roles in the private and public sectors. The organization's endowment fund supports initiatives that address the needs of Hispanic women and girls in the D/FW area. For more information, visithttp://www.dfwhispanic100.org. Visit us on Facebook at DFW Hispanic 100 or follow us on Twitter @DFWH100.
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