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Ambassador of My Culture
I grew up in Quito,
Ecuador and attended a
private Catholic women’s
school for as long as I
can remember. As far as
I was concerned, life
was good. I was an only
child growing up
surrounded by the love
of two wonderful parents
who wanted nothing but
to see their daughter a
successful and
professional independent
woman.
This is why my mother
decided that I should
become an exchange
student with the Rotary
Club. She believed that
I needed to learn more
about the world, learn a
different language,
appreciate different
cultures; in short,
according to my mother I
needed to grow up. But I
did not want to leave
the commodity of my home
and the convenience of
my world to go to a
place where I had no
idea how life would be.
I was afraid. The
Rotarians told us that I
would be moving over
5,000 miles away from
home to a place called
Anchorage, Alaska. |
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Nothing could have been
more different, more
unusual or more out of
the ordinary. I felt as
an outsider, I attended
a co-ed, public school,
learned a different
language, emulated
different customs, tried
to get along with new
siblings and adjusted to
a different climate. It
was very challenging,
but it was also one of
the most rewarding
things I have ever done.
My
mother was right, that
year I not only grew up
and learned to be self-sufficient,
I also understood that I
was my country’s
ambassador, because
people wanted to know
about Ecuador, about
Latin America and about
what it means to be
Latina.
I
had the power to make an
impression on people
about how we, Latinos,
think and feel about
each other and the rest
of the world. I had the
opportunity to embrace
over 10 different
cultures, learn about
them, share it with them,
become friends with them
and most importantly, I
had the opportunity to
cherish and appreciate
my own culture.
That year changed my
life forever. I decided to never let go my
ambassador title and
that I would take my
heritage further and
tell the world about it.
 In
order to do this, I came
back to Anchorage to
attend the University of
Alaska Anchorage. This
time I am on my own and
have become fearless. I
have become a strong,
smart, hardworking
Latina.
During college, I have
lived and worked with
diverse cultures, which
has given me the
priceless ability to
understand and interact
with different people. I
enjoy having teachers
from different
nationalities who bring
up interesting points of
view in class and who
are eager to listen to
the different ideas we
have. Throughout my four
years in college, I have
been given greater
responsibilities and
challenges that I have
gladly taken over.
I work for the office of
student activities at
the University of Alaska
Anchorage. I am the
programming team manager
who oversees a group of
eight other students. We
do research and bring
performers to campus. We
try to keep diversity in
mind when choosing bands,
speakers, comedians and
entertainers to best
serve students and the
community. I have also
worked with the
Diversity Action Council,
in which we promoted
activities and programs
that support diverse
cultures and beliefs at
the university.
I recently became
president of the
school’s Human Resources
Club. Along with other
members, I am trying to
network with the
professional chapter in
order to get a feel of
how the business world
will be when we graduate.
I
do not know when I will
go back to Ecuador for
good. I do not feel like
I need to know. I have
my heritage and my
country rooted deep in
my heart and they will
always be with me, no
matter where I am.
I
will graduate this May,
and when I do, I want to
take all my experiences
and my ambassador title
wherever I go. I do not
feel as an outsider in
this country anymore. I
recognize the value of
this state, its
magnificent breathtaking
nature, and the
invaluable diversity of
its community that I so
proudly embrace. I
treasure it because, as
odd as it sounds, this
is where I learned to
love my culture. Here is
where I became who I am
and where I realized
that I am not only
Ecuadorian anymore, I am
also Latina.
By Fernanda Peña |
