IGNITE, INSPIRE, EMPOWER

There are many companies, organizations, and restaurants whose slogans do not hold true to reality. As it turns out, Red Bull does not give you wings, Faction isn’t only for the few, Jimmy Johns won’t actually deliver in seconds, and I can’t even remember the last time I went to Subway and got a five dollar foot long.

With that said, CGA’s slogan, “Ignite, Inspire, and Empower” has unveiled its actuality before my very eyes over these past 4 years.

IGNITE:

4 years ago I set out to Rivas, Nicaragua on my very first trip with CGA. I was among a total of 5 student volunteers who were the very first (students) to volunteer at Escuela Especial. I was challenged like never before, both inside and outside of the classroom so intensely that I had two options: to breakthrough, or breakdown. Thankfully, on one of my tougher days, during a home visit with local Nicaraguan child services, I met Julissa. Julissa is a 22 year old woman with Cerebral Palsy who is so shunned from her abusive family that the only reason she is still (barely) alive is because her family gets a small monthly incentive from child services that is intended for medical attention for Julissa, but is clearly abused by her family as they keep her in a locked, cardboard sealed closed with nothing to entertain her but a plastic bag. Thus, it was at that point in time, a small spark ignited a massive fire of passion inside of me. This passion was the desire to change, to make a difference.

INSPIRE:

That Fire kept burning inside of me for 3 more years as I traveled with CGA to both Cambodia and Tanzania in which I had two remarkably successful trips for both me and the group as a whole. It was at these places that I met people like Mr. Kimaro. Mr. Kimaro is a teacher at a private English primary school, a student of computer and technology at night, and a proud father of three. Mr. Kimaro does not have many tangible things. He struggles to pay bills and feed his family. But despite all that he is one of the most honest, hardworking, and proud men who keeps his core beliefs and values dearly close to him. It is people like Mr. Kimaro that inspire me every day.

EMPOWER:

These past two weeks I have experienced what it truly means to be empowered and to spark empowerment in others. For the first time in 4 years I took the concept of ‘be the change you want to see in the world’ into the classroom as well as during relief work. In the classroom I would observe, adapt, create, and teach with passion, excitement, and enthusiasm. No matter how tired, no matter how hot it was, this feeling of making a change, this feeling of empowerment kept fueling my body to achieve greatness. That is a feeling I will be chasing for the rest of my life.

I’m not exactly sure what I am going to do with my life. But I do know for sure I plan to ‘Ignite, inspire, and empower’ others as CGA did to me.

I plan to be the change I want to see in the world and I encourage you to as well.