Is From: Irvington, NY
Lives in: Seattle, WA
Goes to: SUNY Fredonia
Works at: NextGen Academy; Creating An Impact: Uganda
Attended programs in:
- Dominican Republic 2010
Clara first met Service For Peace in 2005 when her youth group leader introduced her to the Community of Peace where she had first served in the Dominican Republic. Just 12 yeras old at the time, Clara was blown away and knew she would participate when she was old enough. Sure enough in 2010, Clara joined her mentor-turned-friend for a lifechanging experience serving the Community of Peace of La Guamita in the Dominican Republic during a Global PeaceMakers program.
Since then, Clara has gone on to work as a youth advisor at the NextGen Academy and, together with friends, is launching her own nonprofit called "Creating A Lasting Impact: Uganda" focused on effecting sustainable community development in rural Uganda via volunteer work. Much of her passion for her new nonprofit was sparked and guided by her experience with international volunteering for community development in the Global PeaceMakers programs. Clara explains:
Global Peacemakers has been one of the best experiences of my life! It has shaped me and my life in many positive ways. The project expanded my small minded view of the world and myself. I was able to become close with a group of strangers who, in the end, became family. I had no idea what this project was going to consist of or who I would meet along the way and those two weeks in Dominican Republic definitely expanded my ability to accept all different types of people.
In La Guamita, the small Community of Peace where we worked, I was able to love and be loved by people
who didn't even speak the same language as me. Through this service project I was able to realize that people are people no matter where they are from, what language they speak or how differently they may lead their lives. The connection of heart that was created between the people of La Guamita and the project participants was too profound to explain in words. I carry my experiences from GPM wherever I go, and I am so grateful to have had such an incredible opportunity to serve in the awesome country of Dominican Republic. I'd recommend time and again to anyone!"