[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] so it wasn’t until my junior year in
so it wasn’t until my junior year in
so it wasn’t until my junior year in high school while filling out college
high school while filling out college
high school while filling out college applications that i found out that i was
applications that i found out that i was
applications that i found out that i was underprivileged looking back though the
underprivileged looking back though the
underprivileged looking back though the signs were there my parents hadn’t gone
signs were there my parents hadn’t gone
signs were there my parents hadn’t gone to college we lived in a trailer park
to college we lived in a trailer park
to college we lived in a trailer park for a few years and we received food
for a few years and we received food
for a few years and we received food stamps however this is the farthest from
stamps however this is the farthest from
stamps however this is the farthest from how I remember my childhood I grew up
how I remember my childhood I grew up
how I remember my childhood I grew up like probably many of us with follow
like probably many of us with follow
like probably many of us with follow your heart as my guiding force my
your heart as my guiding force my
your heart as my guiding force my grandma followed her heart when she
grandma followed her heart when she
grandma followed her heart when she encouraged my mom to have the baby me
encouraged my mom to have the baby me
encouraged my mom to have the baby me when my mom got pregnant at the age of
when my mom got pregnant at the age of
when my mom got pregnant at the age of 15 my parents follow their hearts when
15 my parents follow their hearts when
15 my parents follow their hearts when they dropped everything in Columbia and
they dropped everything in Columbia and
they dropped everything in Columbia and we moved to the US I followed my heart
we moved to the US I followed my heart
we moved to the US I followed my heart walking into the Thomas armor Youth
walking into the Thomas armor Youth
walking into the Thomas armor Youth Ballet in South Miami the tryout this
Ballet in South Miami the tryout this
Ballet in South Miami the tryout this thing called ballet I had a vague
thing called ballet I had a vague
thing called ballet I had a vague interest in at the age of 13 following
interest in at the age of 13 following
interest in at the age of 13 following my heart led me to ballet and the arts
my heart led me to ballet and the arts
my heart led me to ballet and the arts which turned my life around however this
which turned my life around however this
which turned my life around however this year my senior and final year at Harvard
year my senior and final year at Harvard
year my senior and final year at Harvard University as I’m thinking javi what are
University as I’m thinking javi what are
University as I’m thinking javi what are you gonna do with your life my guiding
you gonna do with your life my guiding
you gonna do with your life my guiding force is no longer follow your heart and
force is no longer follow your heart and
force is no longer follow your heart and it is now follow your heart break wait
it is now follow your heart break wait
it is now follow your heart break wait so what does this even mean for me
so what does this even mean for me
so what does this even mean for me follow your heart means doing something
follow your heart means doing something
follow your heart means doing something that I love it makes me happy which is
that I love it makes me happy which is
that I love it makes me happy which is great but these past few years I’ve
great but these past few years I’ve
great but these past few years I’ve experienced that follow your heart break
experienced that follow your heart break
experienced that follow your heart break means coming across something that
means coming across something that
means coming across something that breaks your heart that makes you think
breaks your heart that makes you think
breaks your heart that makes you think this is messed up and feeling empowered
this is messed up and feeling empowered
this is messed up and feeling empowered to do something about it the story of my
to do something about it the story of my
to do something about it the story of my heart break begins two years ago when I
heart break begins two years ago when I
heart break begins two years ago when I traveled to the country of the
traveled to the country of the
traveled to the country of the Philippines on a service trip organised
Philippines on a service trip organised
Philippines on a service trip organised by a classmate from the Philippines
by a classmate from the Philippines
by a classmate from the Philippines background in the Philippines there are
background in the Philippines there are
background in the Philippines there are high rates of children living on the
high rates of children living on the
high rates of children living on the streets and children who are victims of
streets and children who are victims of
streets and children who are victims of child sex trafficking our first stop was
child sex trafficking our first stop was
child sex trafficking our first stop was stairway Foundation a home in program
stairway Foundation a home in program
stairway Foundation a home in program for about 14 boys at a time who have
for about 14 boys at a time who have
for about 14 boys at a time who have either lived on the streets Orban
either lived on the streets Orban
either lived on the streets Orban victims of child sexual abuse or both so
victims of child sexual abuse or both so
victims of child sexual abuse or both so one of the founders is actually a former
one of the founders is actually a former
one of the founders is actually a former ballerina and she has made art central
ballerina and she has made art central
ballerina and she has made art central to the rehabilitation process of these
to the rehabilitation process of these
to the rehabilitation process of these kids so one of the nights the boys
kids so one of the nights the boys
kids so one of the nights the boys performed their musical version of dr.
performed their musical version of dr.
performed their musical version of dr. Seuss’s the Lorax and as I sat in the
Seuss’s the Lorax and as I sat in the
Seuss’s the Lorax and as I sat in the audience my heart crumbled each of these
audience my heart crumbled each of these
audience my heart crumbled each of these boys has their own story but amongst
boys has their own story but amongst
boys has their own story but amongst them they’ve been through some of life’s
them they’ve been through some of life’s
them they’ve been through some of life’s toughest obstacles separated from their
toughest obstacles separated from their
toughest obstacles separated from their families life on the streets very little
families life on the streets very little
families life on the streets very little schooling if any and for some a youth in
schooling if any and for some a youth in
schooling if any and for some a youth in child pornography and the sex trade and
child pornography and the sex trade and
child pornography and the sex trade and drugs to make them forget however in
drugs to make them forget however in
drugs to make them forget however in that moment in their costumes theatre
that moment in their costumes theatre
that moment in their costumes theatre was allowing them to be just kids having
was allowing them to be just kids having
was allowing them to be just kids having fun laughing and dancing in the
fun laughing and dancing in the
fun laughing and dancing in the spotlight defined not by what they have
spotlight defined not by what they have
spotlight defined not by what they have been through but by what they are
been through but by what they are
been through but by what they are becoming so this really showed me the
becoming so this really showed me the
becoming so this really showed me the power of the Arts and our second stop in
power of the Arts and our second stop in
power of the Arts and our second stop in the Philippines was working with
the Philippines was working with
the Philippines was working with children currently living on the streets
children currently living on the streets
children currently living on the streets children who my team and I colored and
children who my team and I colored and
children who my team and I colored and danced with during our art workshops who
danced with during our art workshops who
danced with during our art workshops who were each day returning to the cardboard
were each day returning to the cardboard
were each day returning to the cardboard boxes and bridges that they called home
boxes and bridges that they called home
boxes and bridges that they called home for that night children the same age as
for that night children the same age as
for that night children the same age as my baby brother and sister except
my baby brother and sister except
my baby brother and sister except instead of scooters and skateboards they
instead of scooters and skateboards they
instead of scooters and skateboards they had tin cans for collecting coins this
had tin cans for collecting coins this
had tin cans for collecting coins this shattered my world except this was the
shattered my world except this was the
shattered my world except this was the first time in my life that I had seen
first time in my life that I had seen
first time in my life that I had seen the power of art in other people and not
the power of art in other people and not
the power of art in other people and not just in my personal experience so a year
just in my personal experience so a year
just in my personal experience so a year later so this past summer I had the
later so this past summer I had the
later so this past summer I had the incredible opportunity of traveling to
incredible opportunity of traveling to
incredible opportunity of traveling to the country of Tanzania in East Africa
the country of Tanzania in East Africa
the country of Tanzania in East Africa for a summer internship but what really
for a summer internship but what really
for a summer internship but what really really impacted my life was meeting a
really impacted my life was meeting a
really impacted my life was meeting a visual artist who won confirmed the
visual artist who won confirmed the
visual artist who won confirmed the power of art and two who made the phrase
power of art and two who made the phrase
power of art and two who made the phrase follow your heart break
follow your heart break
follow your heart break click in my mind so actually first night
click in my mind so actually first night
click in my mind so actually first night one of his students a street vendor
one of his students a street vendor
one of his students a street vendor named Ali who I bumped into as I was
named Ali who I bumped into as I was
named Ali who I bumped into as I was just sightseeing around downtown and he
just sightseeing around downtown and he
just sightseeing around downtown and he came over to me began showing me the
came over to me began showing me the
came over to me began showing me the paintings he was selling and after
paintings he was selling and after
paintings he was selling and after buying two of them I asked him how to
buying two of them I asked him how to
buying two of them I asked him how to get to the National Museum the place I
get to the National Museum the place I
get to the National Museum the place I was next on my things on my list of
was next on my things on my list of
was next on my things on my list of things to see and in true Tanzanian
things to see and in true Tanzanian
things to see and in true Tanzanian hospitality he began walking there with
hospitality he began walking there with
hospitality he began walking there with me so as we were walking I kept throwing
me so as we were walking I kept throwing
me so as we were walking I kept throwing questions at him how did you start
questions at him how did you start
questions at him how did you start painting how have the arts impacted your
painting how have the arts impacted your
painting how have the arts impacted your life and in the most coincidental of
life and in the most coincidental of
life and in the most coincidental of ways his mentor and art teacher worked
ways his mentor and art teacher worked
ways his mentor and art teacher worked at the National Museum that we were
at the National Museum that we were
at the National Museum that we were visiting so we walk in together and he
visiting so we walk in together and he
visiting so we walk in together and he takes me to meet hayfa his mentor so I’m
takes me to meet hayfa his mentor so I’m
takes me to meet hayfa his mentor so I’m standing there hearing alley and tyfa
standing there hearing alley and tyfa
standing there hearing alley and tyfa speaking and hearing their story so tyfa
speaking and hearing their story so tyfa
speaking and hearing their story so tyfa had experienced a heartbreak similar to
had experienced a heartbreak similar to
had experienced a heartbreak similar to mine in the Philippines when he saw just
mine in the Philippines when he saw just
mine in the Philippines when he saw just how many kids were living on the streets
how many kids were living on the streets
how many kids were living on the streets in Tanzania he’s a visual artist and he
in Tanzania he’s a visual artist and he
in Tanzania he’s a visual artist and he saw great potential for using the arts
saw great potential for using the arts
saw great potential for using the arts to uplift underprivileged communities so
to uplift underprivileged communities so
to uplift underprivileged communities so he started a one-year arts program for
he started a one-year arts program for
he started a one-year arts program for kids living on the streets in one
kids living on the streets in one
kids living on the streets in one village and Ali was a part of this
village and Ali was a part of this
village and Ali was a part of this program the sole reason why Ali was
program the sole reason why Ali was
program the sole reason why Ali was making art making living off of it and
making art making living off of it and
making art making living off of it and maybe the sole reason why he was able to
maybe the sole reason why he was able to
maybe the sole reason why he was able to get off of the streets during this
get off of the streets during this
get off of the streets during this conversation I flashed back to the
conversation I flashed back to the
conversation I flashed back to the Philippines and I saw how both of these
Philippines and I saw how both of these
Philippines and I saw how both of these experiences so the Philippines they are
experiences so the Philippines they are
experiences so the Philippines they are a foundation and typhus art program both
a foundation and typhus art program both
a foundation and typhus art program both started with individuals who felt
started with individuals who felt
started with individuals who felt something that shattered their worlds
something that shattered their worlds
something that shattered their worlds that broke their hearts and doing
that broke their hearts and doing
that broke their hearts and doing something about it so this really made
something about it so this really made
something about it so this really made the phrase follow your heart break click
the phrase follow your heart break click
the phrase follow your heart break click in my mind throughout these experiences
in my mind throughout these experiences
in my mind throughout these experiences I found that my heartbreak is seeing
I found that my heartbreak is seeing
I found that my heartbreak is seeing children without an access to an
children without an access to an
children without an access to an education and without an access maybe
education and without an access maybe
education and without an access maybe even worse to a childhood and I found
even worse to a childhood and I found
even worse to a childhood and I found that we don’t have to travel thousands
that we don’t have to travel thousands
that we don’t have to travel thousands of miles to see this in action in our
of miles to see this in action in our
of miles to see this in action in our own Miami almost a third of preschoolers
own Miami almost a third of preschoolers
own Miami almost a third of preschoolers live in poverty a statistic that I was a
live in poverty a statistic that I was a
live in poverty a statistic that I was a part of and so now what am I gonna do
part of and so now what am I gonna do
part of and so now what am I gonna do about this I’m not exactly sure but I am
about this I’m not exactly sure but I am
about this I’m not exactly sure but I am guided by how one the Arts lifted the
guided by how one the Arts lifted the
guided by how one the Arts lifted the spirits of my students in the film
spirits of my students in the film
spirits of my students in the film means to lifted alley off of the streets
means to lifted alley off of the streets
means to lifted alley off of the streets and how I would not be here standing in
and how I would not be here standing in
and how I would not be here standing in front of you had it not been for my
front of you had it not been for my
front of you had it not been for my first Valley class so tonight I leave
first Valley class so tonight I leave
first Valley class so tonight I leave you with this challenge the next time
you with this challenge the next time
you with this challenge the next time you come across something that shatters
you come across something that shatters
you come across something that shatters your world that breaks your heart take a
your world that breaks your heart take a
your world that breaks your heart take a second and think is there anything that
second and think is there anything that
second and think is there anything that I can do about this odds are no matter
I can do about this odds are no matter
I can do about this odds are no matter who we are or where we come from there
who we are or where we come from there
who we are or where we come from there is always something that we can do thank
is always something that we can do thank
is always something that we can do thank you
you
you [Applause]
”
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