By
their senior year of high school, most people are licensed drivers and have
already taken the SAT. While neither of these things applied to me, something else
did:
I
had become the founder of an international nonprofit organization, iDREAM
Express.
I’m
Filipino-American, and I visited the Philippines for the first time when I was
seven years old. Even among the unfamiliar faces and exotic places, only one
thing truly struck me: the homeless children roaming around and begging on the
streets. Some were abandoned, others abused. Many were my age. After a
fulfilling and eye-opening vacation, I returned home with a heavy heart and a
longing to help these children. However, being just a young child myself, I didn’t
know what else to do but to give up my allowance each month (along with my
brother) and sponsor a child through World Vision. My family and I continued to
give back to our Motherland in various ways, but the burden of the children
stayed with me over time. Little did I know that the perfect opportunity to
help was fast approaching.
At
the start of my thirteenth year of Girl Scouting, it was time to begin working
on my Gold Award—and, in light of Typhoon Haiyan, I took the opportunity to
finally turn my desire to help into action. After months of planning and
collecting over $10,000 worth of donations, I booked a flight to the
Philippines to execute my project plan. There, I bought a van, equipped it with
school and art supplies, instruments, books, and tablets, and formed a team of
volunteer teachers. Over the course of just three weeks in the Philippines, my
months of planning and dreaming had transformed into reality: iDREAM
(imagination, Discovery, Research, Education, Art & Music) Express was
born.
However,
this accomplishment did not come easy. I traveled to the Philippines alone,
suffered allergic reactions to over forty insect bites, and struggled with the
drastic climate change. Being the only American there, dealing with language
barriers and adjusting to my living situation only added to the stress. Despite
these challenges, I never lost heart; rather, I reminded myself why I was doing
this: for the children who otherwise would not receive an education and
instead, would wander the streets, begging for food, money, or even drugs. The
hopeful vision of a safe haven and a better future for these children served as
constant motivation for me and my team.
It’s
now been more than a year and iDREAM Express continues to hold classes twice a
week at two locations. Our students, whom we refer to as our Dreamers, are
fun-loving, lively learners who enjoy being nurtured and taught by our
dedicated and diligent Dream Team. Aside from playing games, singing, dancing,
and receiving a basic education in reading, writing, and math, our Dreamers are
provided treatment for wounds and infections, proper footwear and clothing if
needed, hygiene care, and hot lunches. Seeing the impact made by iDREAM Express
has only reinforced my belief in the value of education. I believe that a solid
foundation is vital to empowering our future leaders, and because I know that
school may not be accessible, free, or safe for others, especially girls,
around the world, expanding iDREAM Express across the globe is what I want to
do for the rest of my life.
So
what’s next? Establish a mobile learning center in Mexico, then India. And
after that? Who knows? I hope that you’ll join me.
The 2015 National Young Women Of Distinction recipients will be celebrated on October 7, 2015, at Edith Macy Conference Center in Briarcliff Manor, New York. For those who can’t attend the event but still want to be a part of the conversation, join via livestream or follow #NYWOD15 on Twitter. As part of this prestigious honor, the Kappa Delta Foundation affirms its commitment to girls by providing $50,000 in scholarships to Girl Scouts’ National Young Women of Distinction. GSUSA will be matching the Kappa Delta Foundation’s gift with an additional $50,000 in college scholarships for the ten extraordinary young women.