belonging

 Growing up, my mom and I attended an episcopalian church every Sunday. She was never big into her religion, but when she had me, she wanted to give me the experience of practicing my religion. I attended “Sunday School” while my mother was in mass, thinking it's just where the kids went, while they had their adult conversation. Little did I know, the reason for Sunday School was for me to get confirmed. For me to make my confirmation, I had to attend this weekend retreat with a local bible camp called “Happening” at ECC. The environment instantly created a sense of community and connection. By participating in various activities, such as worship services, group discussions, and team-building exercises, individuals are able to bond with others who share similar beliefs and values. This sense of belonging can provide comfort, support, and a sense of purpose, especially at a time in my life where I felt isolated and like I didn’t belong. 

While it doesn’t relate directly, I could connect this memory to part of the song where she talks about her parents not understanding her decision to come home from school. More specifically I could relate to the feeling of disapproval she was anticipating coming back to her hometown, when I anticipated the feeling of disaproval or not belonging before going into the bible camp. The lyrics convey a yearning for a sense of belonging and finding comfort in familiar surroundings. Nina was able to find a sense of purpose within a community, like the sense of belonging that can be found in church camps. 

my values

    The values that are most important to me are respect, empathy, inclusivity, growth, and collaboration. Respect is crucial in creating a harmonious environment where all individuals feel valued and heard. Empathy allows me to understand and connect with people on a deeper level, fostering a sense of compassion and understanding. Inclusivity ensures that everyone in my life feels welcome and accepted regardless of their background, abilities, or differences. Growth is essential, as it promotes continuous learning and personal development. Lastly, collaboration encourages teamwork and enhances problem-solving skills, preparing students for success in the real world. By embodying these values, I strive to build a positive and empowering version of myself.

    In the real world, these values are highly relevant and applicable. In any professional environment or social setting, welcoming and accepting others regardless of their background, abilities, or differences is crucial for fostering inclusivity and promoting diversity. This not only creates a supportive atmosphere but also allows for the sharing of different perspectives, ideas, and experiences, which can lead to innovative solutions and growth. 

Color Blind or Color Brave Response

 The Hobson TED talk for this week was very well spoken, and she got her points across clearly and affectively. Her experience at the birthday party when she was little and the question her mother asked resonated throughout the video. I believe this was assigned after our identity maps to allow us to question whether race and diversity should be acknowledged despite being a huge part of who we are. Hobson touched on the topic of “Color Blindness” and “Color Brave,” which ties in perfectly with what I believe the goal of the order of these assignments were. She explained how the “first step to solve any problem is to not hide,” and how, “the first step of any action is awareness,” which I found was a wonderful way to paint the picture of these two definitions. 

    Hobson left us with a piece of advice. She advised us to invite people into our lives that do not look or act like us or came from the same place as us. This will invite them to challenge our assumptions and make us grow as people. I could relate this to my trip to Guatemala as a whole, but specifically learning about the upbringing of Guatemalas education curriculum through GIZ. GIZ is a German based organization that is actively supporting Guatemala in many ways but specifically, education. When GIZ stepped into the picture to lend a helping hand, they faced the problem of an outdated curriculum that was leading to children dropping out of school at very early ages. To solve that problem head on, they gathered educators from all over the world to discuss teaching techniques that lead to the most success. I can't lie, going into the schools in Guatemala, I was pretty naive and believed we would have more tools to share rather than to learn from the other teachers. I'm happily surprised from how much I learned from watching the teachers methods of teaching and lesson plans.

Real Link: GIZ Organization in Guatemala 

Funny Link: What is Disversity?  

This Book is Anti-Racist Response

     This was a short and sweet way to sum up an ongoing internal struggle I never quite understood. This was and continues to be a hard question to answer, and unfortunately, it had much to do with the "box" of a dominant culture. I was always worried about having the wrong traits but never questioned why I even considered a trait "wrong" or "right". One line that really stuck with me was, "the dominant culture' is what has been considered 'normal' and this 'normal' has been created and is maintained by those who are in the box." 

    This book creates awareness and allows you to ask yourself the right questions, while breaking the labels and boxes society has built. the way the author so simply listed her traits, creates the realization that it could all be so simple and this box is silly. were all so unique, so this unrealistic "only one right way" mindset is impossible to live by.

I'm Isabella Caban Velletri, but you can call me Bella :) I'm a 23 year old Puerto Rican and Italian, and I live with my mom in Johnston with our five cats. (yea, I know. five...) They're all rescues, that made their way to my house, and the oldest is named Oui Oui. Then come the boys Frank and Lester, who are brothers. Next is Queen (she's my favorite), and the baby is Asher. I'm a recent addition to the YDEV major and I'm really excited to learn with everyone.

Over the summer I was accepted into the Fullbright-Hayes scholarship to study in Guatemala for thirty days in the month of July, with 13 educators in Rhode Island. 

    I studied Spanish for two weeks in Nuevo San Jose in the morning and in the afternoon I taught a few classes at the local high school. I stayed at La Escuela de la Montana (the mountain school) while I was in Nuevo San Jose, and ate every meal at my host families house. I met some amazing people while I was there like Abelino who runs the school, my Spanish teachers, my host mom and her daughters, and the teachers at the high school. 

I studied K'iche' for one week in Xela which is a Mayan language. While I was in Xela I stayed with a new host mom named Mercedes. Mercedes owned two properties very close to each other and hosted 16 other college students who are med students in Xela. I studied at PLQ which is a non-profit language school in Guatemala. It was a beautiful community of people from all over coming together to not only learn a new language but experience a different culture. While I was there I met Eduardo my brilliant K'iche' teacher, and Willie who is his advanced student who helped him with out class.