Creative Corner

The following words were spoken by Zuleika at the Empower Girl Power Breakfast 2007.

My name is Zuleika. I am 17 years old and I was raised in Venezuela. I moved to California 2 and half years ago.  I have been involved with GirlVentures 2 years and 5 months. When I first went to GirlVentures as a student I did not know the language and the way things work in California.  I did not know myself either. I remember my first check in. The question was what do you like to do for fun? Everybody said something like painting, reading, playing sports. It was a very simple question but I did not know what I liked and I was still learning English. So my answered was parting because that was the only thing I knew as fun at that time and also the only thing I knew in English.

 As a new person in California I had a lot to explore and GirlVentures helped me to focus on who I am and things I can do like, rock climbing, speaking my heart and being a leader. I remember other time I was in school and my teacher asked who thinks they can write good poems and everybody was afraid to raise their hands and I did it because at GirlVentures you should always say yes to try.

GirlVentures gave a space for myself where there was no right or wrong but my own truth.  Who does not like to have a space like that? That is why as soon as they send me the application to work as an assistant instructor I said yes. I felt a commitment within myself to give back to other girls what GirlVentures gave me.

It is funny how we see the results on ourselves but do not understand them well until we have to explain them. I was a teacher and a student now. I was an assistant instructor. And my role was to be an example to other girls. It was kind of difficult to keep the balance because you have to maintain your role and also be playful. But as any experience in life you also learn.

I remember one time on my course one of the girls asked me why did you deiced to become an assistant instructor? At first I was nervous because I felt like she was putting me on a spot. Then I stared thinking and I got to the conclusion that the reason I was there was to share and teach my experiences of what I learned. That is the secret of life.

I personally think that being an assistant instructor is the key of really understanding that a leader in the community of GirlVentures is an example of someone who speaks their strengths and shares them by acting them.

GirlVentures gave me opportunities to really explore myself physically and mentally.  It was also because of GirlVentures that I learn to love nature: trees, mountains, birds, water. It is in that love that I wrote a poem to my ancestors. I will read that poem now.

“When I see myself I see you.
When I talk to you my soul flies like an eagle.
When I picture you I touch the divine is like knowing who I am.
Blood transforming into my own truth self is your teaching.
Your diversity and places carry my wings.
When I see you I see human’s history.
When I close my eyes I feel your medicine of broken heart.
When I see into my being I know that whenever I go you go”

 

Thank you.