“Use your smile to change the world, don’t let the world change your smile”
Hi my name is Berkeley, I am a sophomore at Eagle Valley High School. This year, I will be playing on two teams for hockey, a 16U team and a 19U team. I am really excited for the 19U season as I will be playing “up” (playing with an older age group). I am excited for the challenge that it presents, and the opportunity for growth. I also might try out for the high school junior varsity team, but I am not completely sure of what I will do yet. Besides hockey, I also enjoy making jewelry, and plan to sell some as a fundraiser. I love how while making jewelry and playing hockey I only have to focus on that one task, thus relieving me of the worries and troubles that had been plaguing my mind throughout the week.
This year, I have another challenge coming. I am traveling with Children’s Global Alliance, a 501(C)3 local non-profit organization, to Rabat, in Morocco. This will be my fourth trip, I am ecstatic to be back, and honored to be asked to be the student mentor. My whole world is transformed when I go on these trips, and when the opportunity arose to go on another trip, I could not refuse. I am excited to see how old Moroccan traditions are infused in the modern Morocco. On that note, this year in class we watched a TED talk on how in order to truly understand someone you need to hear multiple stories not just one story i.e multiple points of view. With that in mind, with the countries that I have been to before, it seems as if I hear one story about the country, and it is usually negative, but when I get to the country I realize how that one story failed to mention how amicable the people are, how rich their culture is, and how complex the history is. I can’t wait to find out more about Moroccan people, their culture and their traditions.
CGA has been such a huge part of my life for the past 3 years and I am so grateful that it has been. It has changed me in ways I have never expected and showed me that there is always something to look forward to and to work towards. In those two weeks that I am gone, I feel as if I am in a whole new world, one that is surrounded by hardship but conquered with love and happiness. The quote “Use your smile to change the world, don’t let the world change your smile” holds so many truths, but I think in this case it is not my smile that has changed the world, it is the smiles of those who I have met. The kids, that I have met, are able to smile through hardships, they come to school and are able to laugh and smile; their laughs make the world seem like it's radiating happiness. Their dedication and determination inspires me to try my best no matter what happens, and to preserve in order to accomplish my goal.
Finally, my family shared my excitement when I told them that I was accepted to go on the Morocco trip; they have always been supportive of me and this year was no different. Declan, my brother, was old enough to go on a trip this year but ended up not applying, I hope that next year I will be able to convince him. I would love to share the experiences that I have had with him.
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