Profile by juan nava

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Symbiosis for t he Soul By Juan Nava

In 2007, Alisa Matsuzaki

discovered her life’s passion: volunteering. During a trip to Guatemala organized by Habitat for Humanity, she realized how truly wealthy she was and how much she felt the need to give to others. “I looked at some of [the Guatemalans’] homes. While we were working, we were using one of the neighbor’s bathrooms. It was old and dirty, and it was barely running. In any other circumstance, I would have been, ‘No, thanks,’” she says. “Then when I come home, I have

the urge that I have to give everything I have to people who have less than me because I have so much.” Matsuzaki, 36 years old, came to the United States with her family when she was five. Even though she doesn’t think of her parents as dedicated volunteers, during her childhood, they housed multiple exchange students and new immigrants (mainly from Japan), providing shelter, food and comfort. Their efforts eased the guests’ assimilation into American culture, but Matsuzaki’s parents and extended family expressed shock when

hearing about her charitable exploits. “I went to Japan last August and told my family that I was going to go volunteer in the Tohoku area, which was hit by an earthquake. Everyone was really surprised. To them it was like, ‘One, you’re volunteering, and two you’re a girl! Like you’re volunteering? You’re going to go do physical labor!? I kind of liked the fact that I was doing something that they were surprised about, or that maybe not many people, especially not many women did.” she said. Matsuzaki was exposed to


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