Volunteering at the Little Haiti Cultural Center made Coral Gables High senior Isabella Izquierdo aware of the needs of the Haitian community. She came away wanting to do more to help, turning that desire into her International Baccalaureate service project.
She volunteered at a summer camp held there, helping the children at the clay workshop.
“And then we helped put up an exhibit this summer so the parents could put up the things that they made,” she said.
The kids worked with clay.
“We would cut the clay and we would help people make the shape of the cups,” she said.
It changed her perception of what she can do with art.
“I’ve never been artistic. I do play piano. I’m not an artist. I was able to learn a lot from the teachers,” she said. “I became more confident with art. I’m going to start now.”
Izquierdo came away from her summer experience determined to organize a collection drive for art supplies. She also considered selling homemade headbands for things that aren’t usually donated and need to be bought, like plywood and hammers for the art exhibits.
After collecting the art supplies, Izquierdo plans to volunteer once a week.
She has to find the time in between yearbook deadlines because she is editor in chief of the yearbook. She said they changed the yearbook from a traditional style to one more modern in both look and content.
Izquierdo also plays goalie on the varsity soccer team. Other activities include the Blood Drive Committee and a position as vice president of the IB Honor Society.
Some of her college applications went to Emory, Bowdoin in Maine, Pomona and Clermont McKenna. She wants to major in neuroscience and behavior
“I’m looking at psychiatry,” she said. “I’ve always been interested in the way people’s minds work — why they do things or say things. I like studying mental disorders. It exists in the world but people don’t pay attention; just because it’s not physical doesn’t mean it’s not real.”
— Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
