I feel blessed to grow up in a household with both of my parents that have instilled in me the value of hard work, education and service to others. My church has further taught me the value and benefit of volunteering my time through community service. As President of the Young Willing Vessels youth group at my church, I oversaw the planning and organizing of our first ever mission trip to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, this past summer. In Brazil we did mission work in the poorest part of town. We worked with a foundation school to keep young girls off the street called Bahia Street Program. They were enthusiastic about understanding our culture and what it meant to be an African American Baptist Christian in the United States. They practiced the Afro-Brazilian religion called Candomble and were surprised to know that we could legally display our religion publicly through song or dance, as they are unable to.
One of my many talents is singing. I have a deep passion for music and vocal expression and I was grateful to express it to the girls in the program. I did a solo performance of a gospel song that speaks on empowerment and dedication to ones faith in God. After I sang, I saw their faces light up and some cried. I then further understood the power and effect of my talent and ability to connect with others. I realized that though we didn't speak the same language or have the same religion, we could connect and be a part of each other’s culture.
My experience at the Bahia Street Program reminds me of when I met an extremely talented young boy who was deaf, mute and blind. Thrown away by a poor and drug addicted mother, he was left to fend for himself on the streets of Salvador. He was later given an opportunity to learn Brazilian drumming by a struggling Capoeira teacher. At first people doubted the boy and his talent, so he went into a shell and did not want to express his talent. I once had similar doubts about my singing until I found encouragement from my choir director.
Somewhat like my choir director was for me, the Capoeira teacher was a role model and support system for the boy. Even in his blindness she allowed him to see his talent and gain joy in expressing it. That's who I hope to be, someone who creates opportunities and inspires others to find optimism. He played drums with a rhythm and passion I've never heard before or sensed. With each stroke to the drum I felt the pain and power he expressed. I even questioned at times if he was blind. I thought, with his talent, he must have been able to see the exact points to beat the drum to make such a sensational impact. Like the boy, I have found that my singing has a strong impact and I hope to have such a strong impact on others as the boy had on me. In the trip I learned more about myself as a person and grew to respect and understand another part the world. I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to display my tenacity, hone my leadership skills, and explore my passion for inspiring others. It is a true privileged to give and I strongly believe that to whom much is given much is required.
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