from Renee’s winning essay…
“I went to Washington D.C. with Close-Up and came home more than educated in the issues of our US government, I became involved. In addition to Washington D.C., I took part in a U.S. government A.C.T. assignment. I was allowed to pick a topic of interest and fight for the issue. I chose a controversial issue, homosexuals being able to have equal rights. This assignment allowed me to move outside of my comfort zone that I was so familiar with. I also had the opportunity to view other people in the class fighting for their issues. This project allowed me to broaden my knowledge on global issues.
All my life I believed my country, the United States, was the best. I felt that we had everything, we would always be safe, and the government was always right. Why would I have thought any differently when I had a roof over my head, food on the table, and no battles in my back yard?
My view on the world has changed significantly over the past two years. The United States is not always right. Not everyone has a safe place to live or a meal to eat. Several people are living in the middle of a war; they fall asleep each night to the sound of bombs going off. Point being, this world is far from paradise.”
