Fame! We're Doing It For The Fame!

I seriously hope I get more than 15 minutes of fame in life because 15 minutes is not enough! Let me explain. Way back in late February I submitted a reflective essay to an organization called One World Education. My topic? The Dominican and Haitian relationships. To be honest I submitted it with with no wish of winning the competition. To me it was a class assignment in Advanced Composition that I sort of enjoyed doing. Well a few weeks later I get an e-mail from One World Education saying I was on of 12 winners out of over 500 applicants! That's about 2 percent!

But what is One World Education you may ask? Well here's an excerpt from their website: "One World Education (OWEd) is a non-profit leader in promoting youth literacy and developing peer-to-peer curriculum that empowers teachers and engages students.  OWEd utilizes student-authored writing about culture and global issues as teaching tools for other students."

So basically the essay that I wrote will be published on their site and even more exiting is the fact that this summer a team of teachers will use my essay and build a curriculum around it! Can you imagine that?? Having children all over the nation (well mostly the DC, MD, and VA area since OWEd is still relatively new) reading my essay and learning about human rights or whatever element of my essay they decide to pull out and focus on? It's pretty exciting.

The reason I never wrote about this was because I didn't really have any proof (or pictures) that I was a One World Education Ambassador! Tonight however I went to the 3rd annual Youth, Culture and Learning Celebration.  It was in DC and I went there around 6. The real "celebration" didn't start until 7 but they wanted us all to be there so that we could mingle a little, take advantage of the hors d'oeuvres and read other people's posters. Oh that's right, I got a poster all for myself =]. We also received certificates so now I am officially a 2011 One World Student Ambassador =]

My poster board!

I really liked this picture with my parents, look at how beautiful the sky looks!

All that writing is excerpt from the essay I wrote. At the bottom it says that you can read more at www.oneworldeducation.org BUT as of 4.29.2011 at 12:32 AM the website has not been updated. Maybe by the time you click it will be refreshed but don;t sweat it, as soon as it becomes available I'll post it up again!

11 of the 12 2011 OWed Student Ambassadors...OMG I'm the 2nd tallest !!!

Before we knew it, it was 7 we mingled with the other guest for about 30 minutes and then they presented a little documentary on the 2011 One World Amabassadors which I have posted below. After that all 12 ambassadors (well, 11 since one poor girl felt very sick and had to leave =[ ) read 2-3 paragraphs from their essay to the audience which was pretty nerve-wrecking since I am not a good public speaker and was very nervous! Did I mention this was all recorded by Channel 9?? This is where my 15 minutes really kick in because I will be on Channel 9 (for those of you that have Cox...) on Friday and Saturday...not sure what time though so I will update you on that really soon.

Finally some of the board members concluded the night with speeches praising everyone from the students to the teachers to the parents for all the hard work they have put in. I proceeded to talk to Ms. Pizzazz (none of this would have happened if it wasn't for her by the way!) and was about to go when I was approached by Eric Goldstein, the founder of OWEd who told me that someone was interested in speaking to me. Confused my parents, Ms. Pizzazz and I followed Goldstein back to the stage where I was introduced to the President of the Rotary Club of Capitol Hill, Polly Binns. No I'm going to be honest here, I have never heard of Rotary Club in my life but apparently my maternal grandfather was a member of it. Its an organization who's purpose is to "provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world." M(r?). Binns said that she had noticed my essay and its topic and was interested in sponsoring it! I still have no idea what that means right now, however we swapped e-mails and she told me that she would be in touch with me. Here we are below inn an official looking photo:

Ms. Pizzazz, my parents, me, Polly Binns, Eric Goldstein and the Rotary Vice President (forgot his name!)

Apparently OWEd scored some money from Rotary Club because of my essay (well that's what I like to think, they might have donated the money anyways...)! Overall it was a good night and I really hope I see my fellow One World Ambassadors again soon but for now I'll have to do with Facebook.

UYL
(Pretty Famous) Andre