How did you choose your topic?

I first learned about Guatemala Connexions from my mom and had a bit of a family connection to it. This was great because I got to interview and meet with people who were directly involved instead of looking at secondary sources and websites. I knew I wanted to explore something related to medicine. I could have done something I already know a lot about, but I wanted to take this opportunity to explore something new. Guatemala Connexions had such an interesting thing going on, and I wanted to know more. At first, I hoped to increase the number of supplies donated but I realized that had more complications than expected. So, I decided to create a website to raise awareness and get more people involved. 

Walk me through the process: how did you get started? Did things change along the way? What was the overall experience like?

I got started by learning as much as I could about them. In the personal project, you’re never going to end up with the goal you started with. I thought I’d gather supplies, but ended up creating a website. This ended up working well, as I had a ton of research and interviews and could give people a different perspective. Of course, you never really appreciate how much you accomplished until it is finished. During the Celebration of Learning, it was a cool experience to reflect on everything I learned and had created.

What are some of the more interesting discoveries you made while working on your project?

I think that so many people were aware of the problem, but didn’t know how to help. When I talked to people, they had some idea about what was going on but not the extent of it or how to help. By learning about Guatemala Connexions, I wanted to fix the problem. I was inspired to. When you don’t know how to help, just know that there are so many people doing things all around the world for so many initiatives. There are ways to help, you just have to look and find time to do something about it.

What was the highlight of your personal project?

Finishing! It was a relief to have it over with, but also nice to see all my hard work come together. 

What’s next? Where does your project go from here?

My family is pretty involved with Guatemala Connexions. My mom delivers supplies, my grandmother delivers supplies… so, my family will keep aiding the cause. As for me, I’m going to continue entering different competitions focused on bringing light to different initiatives. I’m back involved with my Global Social Leaders group, and we’re looking at participating in different contests and opportunities.