This week!!
Firstly, we arrived in Lacey after a 15 hour bus ride—one of our longest yet. I spent the ride really excited to start my admissions internship in this new city. Along with this, I’d also be hosted by my mom and Ray! This week, they were visiting and renting a house on a lake nearby our venue, so that we could spend some time together. I was so excited to have a little piece of home with me this week. Our beneficiary this week is the Kiwanis Club.
On the 26th, we went to Lakes High School, for admissions work. My first week as an admissions intern, I led workshops and the “take a stand” activity in classrooms, learning about prevalent issues in the community and within the school. So many students came out of their bubbles and expressed their opinions on the topics we discussed. Seeing them talk about these things with so much passion was the most beautiful thing. Some classes are harder to inspire than others, but even starting small conversations goes a long way. It was a really incredible thing to experience. We spent the week at Lakes High School, focusing on civility and the ways students interact with each other. We were told the school had issues with violence, general drama, and online bullying, like most schools in the US. We were partnered with Mr. Wilson, an UWP alum and a teacher at the school. He was so passionate about UWP’s work and mission, and was so thrilled to see it incorporated into his classroom.
This week, I took Wednesday off to spend time with my mom and Ray. We went to see the Seattle Space Needle at night, which was so beautiful. I’d always wanted to see the space needle, so this was such a fun moment. We did an underground walking tour of the city, spent some time at Pikes Fish Market, and explored other areas of such a fun city. It was really such an awesome day.
I completed a total of six interviews this week with amazing and inspiring young people that want to travel and be a part of this life-changing program. It was so empowering and hypes me up every time. Seeing young people so passionate about global issues and giving them a platform to use their voice never ever gets old. Interviewing and knowing I could be that person that introduced them to an opportunity of a lifetime is the coolest feeling in the world.
The end of the week was spent performing at a beautiful venue, working on team-building as an admissions team, and spending time with my family. Sophie stayed with us the final two nights, which was a blast. We got pedicures before Mexico, and spent our final nights with my mom and ray at the cutest little house on a lake. I truly loved every minute of this week.
