Living the Dream
If someone would of asked me a year ago what my dream was, this was it. I remember sitting in my hotel room at the Global Youth Institute in 2017 and sobbing uncontrollably because I knew this what I needed to do for the rest of my life. I needed to help people. I needed to make a difference in ending world hunger.
Most importantly, I needed to do something bigger than myself. It wasn’t a need, it was a must.
June 30th came in a blink of an eye and soon I heard the announcement from the pilot, “Welcome to Mexico City and prepare for landing.” It all seemed surreal. Was I really here? Am I really getting to pursue my dream?
Yes, I was.
Arriving to CIMMYT, I was like a toddler staring into the windows of a candy store. I was completely surrounded by massive, luxuriant mountains that peaked right through the silky, white clouds. I have been to Mexico before, but I knew this time would be different.
My 7:00 alarm rang and I remember feeling a immense wave of thrill of knowing all the true treasures in my experience here that I will take with me. There was going to be no trepidation today.
I arrived to the main CIMMYT building and I couldn’t help but smile because there was a statue of Norman Borlaug. The man who saved million of lives and my inspiration. I was here in Mexico, the place where Norman Borlaug himself left his footsteps.
When I opened the ample sized doors, I was greeted with many “holas,” smiles, and kisses on the cheek. The culture is so uniquely different here. It’s so inclusive and they see each individual as part of their family. It’s the greatest feeling when you are thousands of miles from home.
I then got to meet the program director of Socioeconomics, Dr. Kai Sonder who I will be working alongside this summer. He was so passionate about his work and so distinctively smart in everything he said. He introduced me to everybody in the program which included people from over 12 countries. There’s something so humbling about being in a room with so many diversities and ethnicities. I also got to discover what I will be diving in this summer which is finding specific locations for weather stations in parts of Mexico so farmers know when to plant their crops, how much they should invest in products, etc. It feels great to be a part of helping the local farmer in the success of their planting season.
I have only been here for two days and it already feels like home. There is no usual anxiety and I feel a sense of freedom. I know that this is what God placed me here on earth to do and I’m getting to live my dream already at age 18. If I have any advice on what I’ve learned so far on my internship, it is to do what you love. It doesn’t feel like work here and I have been the happiest I have ever been. I am ready to do life changing work in the lives of others.
And to end, here is my quote I live by: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we are waiting for. We are the change we seek.” — Barack Obama
