I grew up in a household where my father was a doctor and my mother coordinated volunteers for a non-profit for families experiencing homelessness. Giving back to others was not only encouraged in my household but expected. We were always taught that everyone, no matter their situation, was equal to us.
When I would go with my mom to cook dinner and eat with struggling families, I would listen to their stories. They were families like mine who had unfortunate things happen that changed their situation. They were good people, they were hardworking, and they were kind.
I realized through my service how the way society paints groups of people is so often wrong. How without educating yourself biases are so easily formed. As I grew up I further learned the importance of education and conversation in creating bridges between different societal groups, not just in the United States, but across the world.
What brought me to my interest in The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace was its emphasis on people working together across the globe. I was intrigued by the speakers from all over the world, sharing their stories and further educating people on their implicit biases, and obstacles towards peace. Through my internship, I hope to further my knowledge on human nature and structural racism, and the root cause of prejudice.
I know I have a lot more to learn and I look forward to the chance to do so. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with Dr. Mahmoudi and Dr. Seaman who I know are women I can look up to and learn from. Their drive for creating a better world is inspiring to me and I only hope to be able to begin to make an impact as they have.
I hope to use social media marketing to bring attention to the great work that The Bahá’í Chair does and provide our audience with materials and resources that help them learn and reflect. Social media has become a huge part of society. It is the way people communicate with each other and even where people find resources and read the news. I want to use my interest and skill in social media marketing to make a difference and hopefully make a contribution to creating a world filled with peace and understanding.
About the Author:
Meredith is a junior at the University of Maryland majoring in Marketing and minoring in Technology Entrepreneurship. After college, she hopes to travel the world and learn more about different countries and cultures. Meredith wants to combine her interest in business with her passion for helping others.