The Next Chapter

“Wow.” The words came out as a whisper while I read the offer letter on my computer screen, “I have been accepted to attend the University of Oxford.”

Picture from @compscioxford.

From a young age, I have been curious about the people and the world around me. Intrigued on why people act and react the way that they do. Of course, at a younger age, my world was smaller. First, in Guadalajara, México, where I was born. Later, it grew to an international level when I moved to the state of Georgia in the United States at the age of 9.

In the US, my first best friend was Japanese. Sadly, I had to say good-bye after two years of knowing her because she moved back to Japan with her family. It would not be until 14 years later that Mai and I would finally reunite in Tokyo and Yokohama.

Mai and I, 2003. Peachtree City, Georgia, USA.

Mai (left), her parents (middle) and I, 2018. Yokohama, Japan.

As I have grown older, my curiosity to understand the world and the people in it grows too. I have come to realize that the world sometimes works, and it sometimes, in a catastrophic level, does not. It can be a very complicated and messy place. Particularly, when there are people with different world views that might not see the world for what it is. Therefore, the challenges in today’s society only seem to keep growing.

Misinformation and different realities put our lives at risk, but I believe that most people are more alike than we think. My experience has been that we all ultimately want the same thing. We all want to feel safe, have the best quality of life, give our kids the best education with the hope that they grow into remarkable individuals, and provide our elders and families with care. These realities tend to be universal.

At Oxford, I will be studying diplomacy. A field that I believe is essential for our global survival. The hope and passion I have for the world led me to achieve what did not seem possible.

Now, I understand the world better. I understand that the only way to save us from ourselves is to work together because not one individual (or nation) can do it alone. More than intelligence, we need wisdom. People who are smart, but more importantly, people that want to do the right thing. I see a lot of challenges ahead, but I also see a lot of opportunities. It will be up to us to decide what kind of future we want for ourselves and for the generations that follow.

Mai has allowed me to use the pictures and her name for this blog post.

The Single Most Pressing Issue -- and Solution -- Facing our World Today

When you think of the single most pressing issue that we face as a society, what comes to mind? Perhaps inequality? Perhaps poverty? Terrorism? Or maybe even Climate Change?

For many years, the one and biggest global issue that truly concerned me, for myself, for the people I love, and for future generations was Climate Change. How on Earth (no pun intended) are we supposed to move forward when we are literally destroying the only home we have? Climate Change threatens our very existence. Although the warming of the planet is a very real and frightening threat for our present and our future, I now know this is not the most pressing issue that we face as a society.

Education is not only the single most pressing issue that we face, but it is also the solution to every single one of our problems. Quality education for all is the answer to everything.

I truly believe education can solve absolutely any problem that we face. When people are well educated and informed about any issue, they are more likely to take action and to find ways to solve the problem. They are also more likely to hold their governments or people in power accountable. At no other point in history have we been more environmentally aware, have done more for gender equality, or for diversity, than today, and I believe that education has achieved that progress. The internet, and social media in particular, has given an unprecedented opportunity for many professionals, experts, teachers, journalists, activists, every-day people, and in particular, young people, to use it as a platform to inform, educate, and engage people from all corners of the globe. Social media has inspired the global community, and especially, has inspired young people to know that they are never too young -- or too old -- to take action and to become leaders in their communities.

Without education, we have nothing. Without education, we would not be able to solve the biggest issues facing the world today. Education is not just learning a set of skills, it is about problem-solving, it is learning about your neighbors, exposing you to new ideas, to new challenges, to new ways of looking at the same thing. It opens up your mind, it consumes your soul. Education truly can change communities, regions, and the world.

Never stop learning new things, because tomorrow, it could be you changing the world.

When Women Win, We all Win

When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful. - Malala Yousafzai

Imagine that your team qualified to play at the FIFA World Cup. An incredible opportunity to take home a big honor. Imagine that you get on the field and you see the other team. Eleven players getting ready to play you and your team for the winning title. They are all fit, well trained, and ready. As you step onto the field with your teammates the referee tells you that you cannot play with all eleven. You can only play with five people. You have to cut your team in half. Eleven on the other team vs five on your team. Who is more likely to win? 

That is how the world works. We are all interconnected, and helping just half of our population will have disastrous outcomes for all of us.

“Inequality for women not only affects women, but men as well. When men are unable to express their feelings or expected to act tough in order to ‘be manly’, it hurts us all.”

For generations, women have been treated as inferiors. From not being able to vote less than a century ago in the United States, to having little to no say over what happens to their own bodies when it comes to healthcare or in the clothes they wear (different countries have introduced different laws, legislation, or proposals to limit the clothing women wear including countries like Saudi Arabia and France -- and more recently Morocco and Germany.) Control over women doesn't stop there. There are even life-threatening practices, like female genital mutilation, that can cause long-term health problems for women and girls.

In some places, it is more desirable to give birth to a boy than a girl, leading to sex-selective abortions and infanticides.

And, in other places, an even more impactful truth becomes the reality of tomorrow: education, one of the greatest gifts you can give a human being, is kept from many girls around the world.

Inequality for women not only affects women, but to a very large extent, it deeply affects men. When men are unable to express their feelings or expected to act tough in order to 'be manly', it hurts us all. When men are not expected to be responsible in taking care of their children or expected to be the breadwinners, we take away a lot of joy and freedom from their lives. 

Equality is not something that only helps women, it helps all of us.

“Culture does not make people. People make culture. If it is true that the full humanity of women is not our culture, then we can and must make it our culture.”

— Chimamanda Ngozi