Worldwide Understanding by Amanda

Amandaof Plantation's entry into Varsity Tutor's March 2016 scholarship contest

  • Rank:
  • 0 Votes
Amanda of Plantation, FL
Vote for my essay with a tweet!
Embed

Worldwide Understanding by Amanda - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Although I cannot eliminate all the injustices in the world, my experiences out of my comfort zone have allowed me to make a difference. I am not the stereotypical Cuban American girl who grew up in South Florida; I have traveled the world. My love for experiencing other cultures first grew from my parents’ influence, but this passion has become my own. In fact, at the age of fifteen, I explored Australia and Southeast Asia without my family. During these travels, I discovered my life’s goal: educating others about the ecological issues and the poverty that plagues much of the planet.
In July 2013, I participated in “Seven Wonders of Australia,” a community service program. For fourteen days, I traveled throughout Australia, removing invasive plants in the Daintree Rainforest, rehabilitating a safe environment for sea turtles, removing scrub (bushes) from the Outback in order to avoid forest fires, and providing meals for the homeless in Sydney. Each time I worked on these different projects, I learned about the rainforest, the desert, and the poverty that exists in Australia. Volunteering raised my awareness that every country has its own blueprint for keeping Mother Earth alive. This enlightening experience even made me become a “tree hugger.” Back home, I reminded everyone we all have an obligation to try to save our planet by unplugging electronics and making sure to turn off the water. I planted seagrass on the beaches of South Florida and participated in many recycling projects. During my visit to the Outback where the Aborigines live, I saw the famous Ayers Rock. To this day, the Australian government allows tourists to climb to the top of this sacred rock, against the Aborigines’ protests to protect this spiritual sanctuary. This showed me the government in Australia does not respect the Aborigines’ customs and culture, undermining their attempts to find a solution. This experience raised my awareness about unfair government control. Because of this, I decided to explore another part of the world: Southeast Asia.
In June 2014, traveling with other teenagers through “Wonders and Riches of Southeast Asia,” I toured five diverse countries: Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Each country varied in culture and terrain but shared one thing in common: severe poverty. In the streets of Vietnam, I found myself helpless when a four-year-old girl holding her two-year-old sister ran up to me and pled for money. Then, in Cambodia I visited a floating village named Tonle Sap, which supports thousands of families through fishing. However, Tonle Sap is endangered because of climate change, pollution, and the indifference of the government to protect their livelihood. Many people in the U.S. complain about their lives, but looking at the floating shacks where some Cambodian families live make the so-called unbearable homes in the United States seem like mansions. Every community I visited in these five countries were plagued by poverty. Many people in Southeast Asia lack clean drinking water or enough to eat. When I arrived home, I valued the simplest things and realized I have the obligation to make people aware of the inequity that exists in the world.
Because of these experiences I plan to study communications and journalism at a university to raise the consciousness of the public. These worldwide experiences taught me to be more humble and empathetic for others. Many people stay in their comfort zones throughout their lives not venturing into their unknowns. Without experiencing the hardships of life worldwide, we do not realize how fortunate we really are. In the future, I want to educate people and raise their consciousness of their obligation to change the injustices of the world. Everyone discusses the horrors which exist outside his or her “bubble;” however, few have the courage to make a difference. By studying abroad during college will enable me to understand and communicate through different cultures, languages, and people by connecting the dots I want to create in my future.

Votes