Meet Emily, a Recent Participant from Arizona in Up with People!
Let’s read what she had to say.
What is the language you wish you were fluent in?
“Maybe Spanish, only because I live in a place where Spanish is so prominent and for my host family here in Mexico. Ultimately, I want to talk to my friends back home and there are a lot of places that speak it.”
What would you say to a future participant who you could inspire and influence?
“The best advice I’ve been given was by an Up with People alum, so I’m going to pass it on to future ‘uppies.’ As a result, there will be so many moments when you are tired, overwhelmed, or feeling negativity.
You convince yourself that it’s okay to just take a second to not fully be in the moment. And while there are times that you feel like you need to do that, you have to remember that you’re actively being as present as possible all the time.
Give as much of yourself as you possibly can. If you don’t, you’re going to regret it in the end. You only get this kind of opportunity once in your life so you really have to embrace it and try to remember all the reasons you are here.”
What did it feel like to arrive the first day?
“I was nervous. I was really nervous. It was the day after I had broken up with my boyfriend and I remember being really emotional, but also excited to be at Up with People. But there was so much change happening and I was nervous for that change. But when I got there, everyone was really welcoming. When I walked in, I knew it was where I was supposed to be.”
How will you keep hope alive?
“I’m trying to figure that out. I think Up with People as a nonprofit has made me more interested in nonprofit work. To me it’s the most hand on way to create change by physically working within the community. But I’m also learning that there are a lot of other ways to spread hope.
As someone who is very passionate about art and its ability to connect to people on a level that other things can’t, I hope someday I’ll find a way to incorporate my love of the arts into something that creates positivity and hope in others.”
“There’s no ghost from the past that we can’t shake
Have a little faith in us
There’s no history that we can’t remake
Have a little faith in us
For all we know the best is yet to come”Have A Little Faith (In Us) © Up with People
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