Female, 27 from Chihuahua, Mexico
Joined TIG: November 24, 2005
My name is Laura. I was born in Chihuahua, which is in the northern part of Mexico. As a child, I found it hard to concentrate on anything, but when I joined the girl scouts, it really turned my life around. I learned how to be responsible, how to love nature, and after that experience, I started really getting involved in youth organizations at school and at church. When I finished high school, I participated in a Rotary youth exchange program in Brazil, where I met 68 students from 18 different countries and learned about other cultures and ways life. This experience had a huge impact on me, and I decided from there on that I wanted to travel – to meet people from all over the world. It helped me to learn that we are all fundamentally the same despite our religion or race.
I heard about TakingITGlobal for the first time in 2005 at the World Youth Congress in Scotland. Jennifer and Mike gave a presentation on TIG, and I thought it was really interesting, so the first thing I did when I returned to Mexico was sign up on TIG. Through TIG, I have mostly been contributing to Panorama, as my biggest passion is writing. My grandmother, whom I always wanted to emulate, was a writer, and I have always been a huge fan of Jules Verne and his novels since childhood. Not to mention Lois Lane, of course, who was also big inspiration for me to get into writing. She was intelligent and pretty, and she had a man in red underwear that would take her to the moon! Who wouldn’t want to become a reporter like her?
One of the first articles that I wrote was published by TIG, and then published for a local magazine. Then I wrote again for Panorama, and it was subsequently published by another magazine. And now, I am writing for about six different newspapers! TakingITGlobal was the first organization that published my work, so I have a deep appreciation for TIG. When I become famous, I will remember that!
Through TIG, I also became more conscious and knowledgeable about global issues like the environment, poverty and the MDGs, different cultures and religions, and how I could personally make a difference. As I get older, I am less involved with youth organizations as I used to be, but TIG has helped me to realize that we can still make a difference no matter where we are in life. For example, I always incorporate and promote global issues into my articles, and I try to be a positive influence on people, to transform their mentality, and to let them know that they can make a change; I think that’s why my section of the newspaper has been really successful
On top of my writing, I also work as a professional speaker, and almost all of my speeches are for youth. One of my speeches focuses on the Millennium Development Goals. Talking about issues like eradicating poverty and promoting universal education really inspires the high school and university students who listen to my speeches: they get really passionate and want to take action to change the world. So, at the end of my presentation, I always give them a few websites and Mexican associations with which they can get involved, and TIG is always on that list. I always tell them, “Okay guys, if you want to participate, if you want to get involved, go visit TakingITGlobal,” because I know that on TIG, they can find other youth who are also working passionately on global issues; they can find projects; they can learn; they can find opportunities.
I know because I have personally accessed these opportunities. A year ago, I worked for a social association that focused on promoting good values. I set up a profile for this organization on TIG and I also contacted other organizations in the TIG database, and eventually I got in touch with a similar organization in New Zealand. I got in touch with them and we exchanged ideas and documents, and this connection wouldn’t have been possible without TakingITGlobal.
I was also able to connect with Victor del Rosal, a fellow Mexican TIG member, through TakingITGlobal. Victor is very involved with youth associations and also gives speeches. My university was looking for a professional speaker, so I told them about him, and he came to Chihuahua. We chatted, and we have been in touch regularly ever since, and are getting involved in each other’s projects. TIG is a great platform for members who have similar interests and careers to get together to share ideas.
It gives me so much hope and inspiration just to know that a network like TakingITGlobal exists. When you’re striving so hard to make a difference within your community, sometimes you can get tired or discouraged, and sometimes you think you’re all alone. But in a place like TIG, where thousands and thousands of youth making change in all corners of the world can connect with each other, you see that you’re not alone, and that there’s a huge sea of people and opportunities to support and motivate you in your projects. In my case, I live very far from the centre of Mexico, so it’s frustratingly difficult for me to attend the major events and gatherings that take place in Mexico, as they are usually around an 18-hour drive away. But this is TakingITGlobal’s strength: it connects me with other youth leaders who are working for amazing causes in my country and around the world, even though geographically, we are so far apart.
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