Dear Reader

I am President of the club HTAC (Help the Afghan Children) here at Ithaca High School. Last year we raised over six thousand dollars to support a school in a mountainous region of Afghanistan for a year. This year we plan to continue fund-raising to accomplish a similar goal. We also have the opportunity to do a cultural exchange with the school we are supporting. Using social technology and mail, we will send pictures and written documents about our own experiences, hopefully creating a shared experience between us and some children in Afghanistan.

Art has also become extremely important in my life. Of course the thrill of creativity is captivating, but on a more profound level art has become a way for me to communicate my feelings, that perhaps, there are no words for. As an individual I have always loved being around people, relating (or not relating) to them. In a sense my interactions have helped me find my own identity as well as making me a far more empathetic person. These interactions have opened my eyes to the vast variety of characters in our world, helping me appreciate those who I do share values with; while at the same time helping me understand a side that I otherwise wouldn’t acknowledge. Through art one many reflect upon their experiences as well as mark a period in one’s life is a subtle yet powerful way.

I see my involvement with HTAC as an opportunity to connect my passion of art, with my love of understanding the lives of others. Over the next few months I will take the portraits of girls in Afghanistan and after drawing (or painting) them, see if I can have them displayed locally at a restaurant or bakery. I hope the faces of these women may attract the eyes of individuals enabling them to see the power of helping and understanding others.

As I begin this process I am extremely excited.  I believe that before leaving High School it is important to express oneself on a creative and personal level. I hope that whatever the outcome, this project will have helped strengthen a developing individual, as well as help the lives of girls half a world away.