Take a journey inside and show off what makes you, you. Your presentation could document a journey or experience you have had which can inspire other people. Alejandro Alvarez Mr. Dolan II-A

Who am I? I’m Alejandro Daniel Ossa Alvarez Born Oct The oldest of 3 boys The son of Fabio and Itza Alvarez, two very strict yet very loving parents. Trilingual Lived in Miami, Mexico D.F., Buenos Aires, Argentina and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Through out this presentation I would like to show some inspiring works that I have done through out my life. And one in particular..

Argentina In Argentina, I was still fairly young only 6- 7 years old. Yet at that time my dad would take me to fundraise money in order to have dentists bring mobile cleanex’s to poor communities. In fact my best friend’s father from kindergarten owned the dental group, and paid their salaries, so he helped a lot.

Also since he worked in the music industry he and me would go out and hand out cd’s to less fortunate teenagers at the time.

Mexico By this time I was already 9-10 years old and me, my mother and my beloved baby sitter (Celia) at the time, would go out to the Basilica de Guadalupe. ( The Virgen of Guadalupe’s church) There we fed people who did pilgrimage to the Virgen de Guadalupe. (people who would walk for days from the extreme ends of the country) I also have sad memories of children fighting over a sandwich, until somebody came out bleeding.

Miami By now I was already a good 11 years old. And by this time 2007 the economic downfall had started. So, for thanksgiving we went around homestead county giving out small turkeys to families in need. This was the time I realized how, even in the U.S, despite being a “1 st world country” had the look of poverty, hunger and pain of a “3 rd world Country”. It looked like nothing more than Mexico, and those kids fighting over food. Thanks to my previous experiences I was used to the sights, but I remember my friend (Alec) going home crying and asking his mother “ How could they live like that?”

Brazil By now I was already years old, and I was still dealing with moving to a new country, going to a new school, and learning a new language. I didn’t want to do anything but be a loner or go walking out at night doing things we weren’t supposed to be doing. On weekends my school would have what we would consider community service hours, that would take place in communities of orphan children up in a small favela in my neighborhood. Eventually my parents forced me into this.

We would go up there with food and drinks and throw an occasional party, or just play soccer or see who could go the highest on the coconut tree.(the little kids would always win) Since they were not allowed out of the community this was always a big deal to them.

I remember there was one child in specific who would always make me and one of the girls in my class always climb to the very top of a building at the top of the mountain and just stare at the beach. From up there it looked so far away, but in reality it was only about minutes walking at a slow pace, but since he was not allowed to leave the community he would always say with a sad voice and face, “E meu sonho ir a praia” (it is my dream to go to the beach) Hearing this was nothing but heart wrecking… Imagine a 6-7 year old, dark skinned, skinny,dirty little boy with beautiful light brown eyes telling you that he could see what he wanted but would never be able to reach it until he was 18… In about 11 years!!

So one day, I suggested to my principal we take them on a field trip to the beach. He thought it was a great idea!! Unfortunately I left the country before I could see it happen. But thanks to a good friend (Nicholas) I got a letter from Joao (the little boy) thanking me and saying that he had never seen anybody have a bigger smile than him in the whole wide world.

Praia da Barra (where he went)

This is what gave me so much motivation throughout the hardships of moving once again. The thought of there always being new people. Knowing that there will always be someone out there in need of help, and someone to help me. The best way to forget your problems is by helping someone else with theirs.