Oye! Qué tal?

My name is Carmela Casillas and I am 16 years old. I attend Creekside High School in Jacksonville, Florida. For my junior year, I’ll be doing my exchange year in Cordoba Spain. What I’m most excited for is making new friends and connections from around the world. I believe that if we are more interconnected we can foster a more empathetic society. If we can truly understand one another, we must first try to do so. I believe that when you attempt to understand others, you’ll also improve your understanding of yourself by developing the ability to look introspectively.

Connecting with my family, both Mexican and Filipino backgrounds, I am very proud to embrace two different heritages at once. What is ironic to me is that I practice Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I had taught the kids class and it was so much fun trying to figure out each individual learning style and explaining the techniques to them. Additionally, I really enjoy rock climbing and skateboarding. I try to learn as many things as possible because if I’m here to experience, why not live it to the fullest?

I am genuinely passionate about travel, cultures, and human connections. As I study abroad in my junior year, learning about as many different traditions and values is one of my major goals. Personally, my core values are growth, connection, communication, authenticity, and happiness. I strongly believe that diverse communities allow people to be linguistically and culturally intertwined with one another. Learning languages, stories, values, traditions, and cultures is essential for any society to become empathetic and understanding towards one another. I am so excited to meet remarkable people, try amazing home-cooked meals, and see the future version of myself.

Gracias por todos y hasta luego!