GETINSPIREDBY
STUDENTSPOTLIGHT
INSPIREDBYGRADE12STUDENT CAROLINADANTASSOUSA
GET INSPIRED BY
CarolinaDantasSousa Grade12
Carolina (known as Carol to close friendsandfamily),isaG12student with a passion for community engagementandwithaspirationsto study politics in order to make a difference.
Carolina was born and raised in Portugal,movedtoBrusselstwoyears ago, and she has been at ISB ever since Shelovestobesurroundedby happiness, and considers that the recipe for happiness includes participatinginaninclusivecommunity that celebrates everyone’s best attributes.
What inspired you to get involved with the CAS Programme?
Before I came to ISB, I had already participated in a few smaller volunteering initiatives. More recently, since the CAS programme became a compulsory part of my curriculum, I started engaging in these projects more often.
I think a smart way to approach CAS is to see it as an opportunity to discover different sides of yourself and to understand different societal groups, their experiences, and their concerns. Through CAS I found a way to explore my own interests – this is how I discovered my passion for public speaking and for finding means to achieve social change.
Whattypesofprojectsareyoucurrentlyworkingonorsupporting?
Ihaveparticipatedinclubsandinitiativesthatdealwithpoliticalissues.ForinstanceIhavehad theopportunitytoworkalongsideotherpoliticsenthusiaststoputtogetherbi-monthlydebates aboutcurrentevents.Also,intheModeloftheUnitedNationsClub,werecentlyattendeda conferencewithstudentsfromallovertheworld,wherewesharedsolutionstocombatcurrent globalchallenges.Furthermore,inasmallgroupofstudents(ofwhichIwashonouredtobea part)andwiththeguidanceofateacher,weorganisedaseriesofTEDtalksthataddressed relevant issues. The support received from this group helped me put together a speech addressingcrucialnotionsfortheanalysisofoursocieties
Can you share a specific moment or experience from your community engagement work that had a significant impact on you?
While teaching English to refugees seeking to build a new home in Belgium, I came across stories from all parts of the world. This gave a more vivid understanding of the things they have had to endure. For instance, I spoke to a man who fled from Sudan and whose family was caught up in a violent conflict. He spoke about his experience with such calmness. He explained how he managed to get to Belgium and that he wanted to build a stable life here His strength was admirable, since after all he had been through, he continued to strive for a better future It made me think of the people who have been through similar experiences and who still manage to push through It also made me reflect on the enormous privilege I’ve had, and most importantly, that I must utilise that privilege to make a difference, even if that starts at a local level
Inwhichwaysdoyouthinkyourcommunity engagement involvement influenced your worldview?
From organising monthly activities to reduce isolationatanelderlyhome,toworkingwithother Englishspeakerstoshareourknowledgeofthe languagewithrefugees,andtolearningaboutthe belgianSonianforestanditscomplexecosystems fromresidentsoftheWallonieregion,thesefew instances gave me a more comprehensive perspectiveofoursocietyanditsvarietyofinterests andgroups
How do you think participating in ISB’s Community Engagement Programme will influence and support your future career choices?
Participating in community engagement certainly provided clarity to me in regards to my future career choices, as I realised that I genuinely want to try to contribute to the development of our societies It has made me reflect on where today’s priorities lie and how we should move towards societies that embrace solidarity and collective wellbeing Therefore, I decided that my university path would definitely be focused on political science and international relations, or on other related branches.
How do you encourage and inspire your classmates and colleagues to get involved in community engagement programmes?
I would not say that I encourage classmates to get involved, but that we build projects together and we try to create an inclusive environment For instance, in student leadership we try to organise events that bring the school community together, in which we promote student-led initiatives, so that people can learn about the programmes and activities taking place in High School and can choose to join them if they are interested