The World is More Than I Know

On Wednesday, March 13th, USC Professor Gerardo Munck spoke to an audience at Los Angeles World Affairs Council Headquarters about the current crisis in Venezuela. To quote the overview: " Once Latin America’s richest economy,  Venezuela  is now home to an economic and humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. Civil unrest, hyperinflation, food shortages and lack of medical supplies highlight the need for intervention from the international community." Here are some of my major take-aways from the event.  In Venezuela, the military is in charge of all distribution of food. As of now, they're grappling with 1 million percent inflation; it's projected to reach 10 million by next year. Many members of the military personnel are corrupt and involved in domestic and international drug trade. Though Guiado is supported by the United States and other dominant, liberal world powers, Maduro has been able to retain his reign; his military hasn't abandoned him yet...

The month of February, through a "Global Scholars" lens, was an incredible one. And perhaps the most noteworthy of all experiences was being awarded a grant to fund Families Forward's 2019 summer enrichment program. As part of our Global Scholarship Seminar class, my friend Alexa and I  asked for $1,500 to fund educational day-programs and lunches for elementary-aged "alums" of Families Forward for 10 days during the summer. The panel we presented in front of were gracious, enthusiastic, and kind, and ultimately granted the full amount asked. When I emailed Sarah, the director of Families Forward, with the news, she emailed back that she had "screamed;" "thank you, thank you, thank you!" Families Forward is a big part of my life now, especially within the last few months. I've been volunteering at Families Forward, formerly known as Mothers' Club, since the 7th grade, and this past summer I was elected as a Teen Lead. Being a Teen L...