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Young Global Leaders
Need a dose of hope? Listen to these conversations with inspiring young people from around the world.
If you want to hear what forging common ground looks like in practice, look no further.
I met these youngsters during the 2024-25 academic year, when I was Dean of Baret Scholars, a global gap year program with around 100 students from 40+ countries. We traveled together to seven global regions over the course of 8 1/2 months, during which they formed a tight-knit, loving community, grounded in the certainty that we collectively create a better future for all. They've generously agreed to let me interview them, so that their wisdom, optimism, and brilliance can shine forth for everyone's benefit.
You'll hear terms like "morning program," "afternoon options," "fellows," "fellowships," etc. These refer to different design elements of the program. The details don't matter; you'll be able to get the basic meaning from context.
Enjoy!
Young Global Leaders
Olivia Centeno
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Cultivating Presence, Purpose, and Hope with Olivia Centeno
In this episode, I sit down with Olivia Centeno, a first-year student at Duke university who is double-majoring in Public Policy and Environmental Sciences & Policy.
Olivia shares about her journey from leaving Spain at age 16 for United World College (UWC) Mostar, to taking a global gap year with Baret Scholars, to navigating her first year at Duke. We explore how to stay grounded in the present, build meaningful community across cultures, and use personal, story-driven action as a source of hope.
Keep up with Olivia on YouTube and on the Duke Gap & Yap podcast.
Key Takeaways & Highlights
- The Mindset of Staying Present: Olivia reflects on her shift from long-term anxiety to present-moment positivity, noting how bounded timeframes (like a two-year boarding school program or a gap year) offer reassurance to take risks and be present.
- Turning Gap Year Inspiration into Action: After experiencing the transformative impact of a gap year, Olivia co-created The Duke Gap & Yap podcast to help incoming students navigate deferrals and hear real gap-year success stories.
- Using Platforms for Real-World Impact: From creating viral campus tour videos for UWC Mostar, to profiling local guides in Kenya, Olivia discusses how authentic storytelling on social media can create tangible economic and social impact.
- Cross-Cultural Dialogue & Deep Listening: Drawing from intense cohort discussions on climate action and privilege, Olivia outlines her framework for resolving conflicts and navigating cross-cultural spaces: active listening, sitting through discomfort, and recognizing shared human values.
- Redefining Hope: Olivia shares a powerful perspective on environmental and social advocacy inspired by a campus talk from Pete Buttigieg: Hope is not a passive feeling; it is the consequence of action.
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Hello and welcome to Young Global Leaders, where we get the chance to hear from young people hailing from all around the world, sharing about themselves, their accomplishments, and their vision for a better world. Recently, I had the privilege of leading a group of about 100 young people from over 40 countries to seven global regions on an eight-month global gap year program. Most of them had just graduated from high school, though we also had a few older students. During our eight-plus months together, the students formed a deeply loving and supportive community. Anyone could see that they had built something unique and inspiring. Through my eyes as a teacher, coach, and global leadership consultant, what I saw was unlike anything I'd seen before. When the program ended, I desperately wanted to keep in touch with these students and to share their example with the world. So I started the Young Global Leaders podcast. Today we hear from Olivia Centeno. Olivia Centeno, welcome.
SPEAKER_00Hey Jason, thank you so much.
SPEAKER_02You're welcome. Thank you for carving time out of your extremely busy schedule to chat with me. I really appreciate it. Uh let's start by you could if you could share with our listeners where you're joining us from today and what has brought you there.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I'm joining from Duke University. I'm in Durham, North Carolina. And I applied to this university on my last year of high school, but they waitlisted me and I applied again during my time at Paris Scholars, which is what's brought me here.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Very nice. Um and we'll hear more about your experience at Duke as we go through the our conversation today.
SPEAKER_00Um but I'm gonna ask you a question that I ask all of my guests on this pod, which is what makes you you I think one of the main aspects of my personality that has really developed over the past years is this global perspective that I carry with me. I left Spain when I was 16 to go to boarding school at UWC Mostar, a place with 200 students from more than 70 nationalities, and then traveling across five continents with various colors. I think a lot of who I am is people's stories and the stories of people who I've encountered in the past years. So definitely that, which is, I think, a main thing, one of my main values that I think is very connected to who I am is empathy.
SPEAKER_02Well, that definitely tracks with with how I came to know you over the year. Um if I may, if I may just add a couple of my thoughts and impressions as well.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I found you to be really kind of um um an anchor of the cohort, uh like a uh anchor glue. I don't know what the what the right metaphor is, but you were a leader in the cohort. And I feel like you were somebody that people really felt like they could turn to for guidance, for really positive energy. I mean, you're you're there's just it's it I'm I I'm sure our listeners can pick up on it a little bit. I mean, but there's there's nothing like just running into you in the hallway of the hotel or the lobby or you know, wherever I would you know run into you, and just always this energy like hello, and this just enthusiasm and positivity, which is just such a wonderful thing to have, and you could tell absolutely nothing fake about it, like 100% genuine. Um, does that sound like an accurate description, Olivia?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I agree with that. And it's something that I've reflected a lot on because it's definitely when I think of me before leaving Spain, very happy memories for sure, but there was a mindset shift when I started boarding school, and I think it was connected to me starting to think a bit less in the long term and really being present. And with that came positivity. And I genuinely think it's like also one of those main aspects of my personality. I'm a very optimistic person.
SPEAKER_02Can you share a little bit more about how you because we with all this, every spiritual tradition tells us to try to be more in the moment and not worry about not fret about the past and not worry about the future? Um and here you are, um, I guess in your mid-teens when you left Spain, uh figured something out about how to stay in the moment. Is there anything you could share with us about how you've managed to do this?
SPEAKER_00One of the things that because I personally also try to think, okay, what do I do exactly that helps me to stay present? And when thinking of my experience at boarding school at UBC Mostar, one of the things that contribute to this is the fact that there was so much happening every day and so much happening every week that it was almost impossible for you to think beyond the span of a week. But also something that helped is when you have the reassurance of, okay, I know I'm gonna be in this place for two years. No matter what I do, no matter what I decide to or not to do, I will be graduating in two years, and who knows what the next step will be. So I think that that is something that brings reassurance and encourages me to just try new things, take risks, and be present because you do have that confidence of I know where I'll be in two years. Kind of similar now that I'm at Duke University or when I was in Burre, I know I have a year for myself. I am gonna complete this year. Let's make the most of this. That is something that helps me be present, reminding me that I know what will happen.
SPEAKER_02Well, thank you. Thank you for that advice. That's something I'll I'll chew on because it's definitely a challenge for me to stay in the moment because I I still so often find myself, you know, fretting and worrying. And so um, hopefully our listeners can take something away from that as well. Uh we'd love to hear more about your story. Uh, could you share with us about your background? I mean, you already shared a little bit, but how how did you come to be a part of Beret Scholars?
SPEAKER_00Yes. So, like I said, I left Spain when I was 16. It was my mom, the one who read on a newspaper an interview from a student from my region in Spain who had been to UWC. And then I applied. I didn't get in the first time that I applied, so I applied a second time, and then I went to University Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina. And during my last year of high school, while I was there, I applied to university. So I sent a bunch of applications like everyone was doing, and my goal was to start university. And then our university counselor sent us an email. Check out this opportunity, um, gap your opportunity. And I started to read about it. And from the very beginning, I was like, no, it's time for me to go to university. Something that it does happen. You around you, you do have these social deadlines of I should be completing this. I am 19 years old, I turned 19 while starting Bre. I'm gonna turn 19 years old this year, and I should be starting university. But then I remember one afternoon I took the time to read the book of Boret. I read the whole thing, and once it I was like, how am I gonna say no to this opportunity? I'm not gonna let this pass. I have to try. So I applied and it turned out well. And it was this conflict of also waiting for university decisions, trying to make up my mind about Baret, because it's true that there was a sense of uncertainty with the fact that it was a new organization, there was an opportunity to read or hear about the testimonies of other students. So dealing with those feelings as well. And the university decisions didn't really turn out as I expected. So that helped me be more certain about me wanting to take part in this uh first cohort of Boré.
SPEAKER_02How did your family feel about it?
SPEAKER_00They've been super supportive with everything. I feel so grateful for both my parents and my family since the moment that even me taking um even me going to boarding school in Bosnia-Herzegovina, because I didn't get in the first time, I started grade 11 in Spain and then left once again and did grade 11 and grade 12 in Bosnia-Herzegovina. And from the very beginning, with everything that I've done in life, my parents have been super supportive, offering the space for me to share my emotions, to share my fears. And I remember because we were together in April when my final decisions of some universities were coming out. We were in Berlin, and I remember that night. I was crying so much because it's a moment that it's very scary. You're trying to figure out what your future is gonna look like, and there's that uncertainty. And my parents were honestly some of the main advocates for me doing Beret and joining this program. So I'm very thankful for that, and very thankful that their mindset is not about rushing, rather about taking the time to build and work towards my goals.
SPEAKER_02Well, let's let's take a let's take a side trip here because we're talking now about the gap year that you had with Beret. Um and you were sharing with me before we started recording about the podcast that you have started, that you started at Duke. Um can you share with our listeners about what the podcast is, how it came to be, and why this is meaningful to you?
SPEAKER_00So when arriving at Duke, and I think it's something that it's happening with each passing day, I feel so grateful for having had the chance of taking a gap year and the opportunity to join various scholars. And I met other students who had taken gap years because Duke has the Duke Gap year. They offer funding for admitted students and they guide them through the process of deferring enrollment and joining one year later to have a gap year before coming to university because they know that it's a valuable experience, not something that stops you, rather, like an additional step in your educational journey. So I met some of these students that took part in due gap year and did their own gap years, and one of them became a very good friend of mine. And having conversations with other students, so many of them, whenever we shared our stories, they were like, I wish I had taken a gap year. I should have read those emails more in detail, or I wish I had heard stories of people who had taken gap years because that would have helped me make an informed choice. So with my friend, we came up with the idea of making a podcast. It's called, it's called The Duke Gap and Yap. And we're posting episodes every other week. And in this episode, we interview students who've taken gap years who are now at Duke. Um, so that's what we're doing, that's what the podcast is about. And the main goal is basically that for it to be a good source of information for admitted students in Duke because they know they have the opportunity of doing this, but sometimes you don't really know what your gap year can look like. So, for students, also maybe in other corners of the world who might be thinking of taking a gap year because their students who've done amazing things, and it's so rewarding as well to be recording and to have that constant input of inspiration um through the interviews that we're doing.
SPEAKER_02Are there any stories in particular that you have found inspiring from the people that you've interviewed?
SPEAKER_00Yes, we interviewed a student um last week. The episode came out yesterday, and he created an NGO during his CAP year in Ghana to offer extracurricular activities, basketball to students. And he was sharing um how during winter break, one of the students that he taught during his CAP year that learned to play basketball with him, sent him a video because he had his first game, an official tournament, and he scored the last point and helped his team win. And he still runs the organization and it's helped a lot of people from Ghana, the place where he was based in, to have that as an addition to their daily lives and have the opportunity to have extracurricular activities. And it was super inspiring.
SPEAKER_02It's a beautiful thing, I think, when any human being can start to understand the impact that we can have on other people. I remember I was I didn't have like I very clearly remember the first time that I recognized that my words and deeds had an impact on people beyond like my immediate like family and friend circle. It was like my first job after college. I was a debate coach. And I don't know, I said something or did something, and and I just I just had this realization. It's like, oh, people are actually looking to me as a role model. I actually what I do actually really matters more than I might have thought that it did before. And I love that about the story that you just shared, which is not even in college yet, and doing something that has this direct and beautiful impact on somebody. Um actually, uh I'll ask you the question, Olivia. Um, have you had any experiences to this point, whether on Beret Scholars or not, where you have felt something about the impact that you can have?
SPEAKER_00Yes. Uh something connected to my capstone project that I did during Beret. I was recording videos, and it's something that started, I started my YouTube channel when I left Spain. And University Mostar from the 18 UVC schools that there are was one that didn't have that much presence on social media. So there were no videos of what the residences looked like or what the campus looked like. And I decided to make a video, and it's a video that now has over 25,000 views on YouTube, and the school started to use it for promotion. And when I started my second year at UWC, so many of the incoming students were telling me, I'm here because of your videos. And that is something that completely changed my perception on how I could use social media as a platform for impact. And one of the videos that I made during Barray was from a weekend in Lake Naivasha in Kenya. Kenya was the country that I was the most excited for. And when I arrived, I told myself, I need to leave this place saying I did everything I could have done and more. So the first weekend with some of my friends, we went to Lake Naivasha. We went camping and we met Robert there, who was our guide for the two days. We randomly encountered him. We didn't know he was gonna be there, but he was with us and he showed us um the lake. We went on a boat ride and we went as well to a national park, Hellscape National Park, which was a beautiful experience because the idea that I had of Safari was you're inside a car, there's a barrier between you and the animals. But this park doesn't have predators, so you can just bike. And it was beautiful. We were there early in the morning, the sun is coming out, we're just biking, and then there's Empalas passing by us, there's giraffes in the distance. It was beautiful, and the way in which he shared all the stories because his ancestors used to live in this national park. So there were so many stories that he shared with us that made the experience super insightful and just beautiful. And I made a video, and this winter break, Robert texted me and he told me, Olivia, I want to take some time to wish you happy holidays, but also to thank you. So many people now come to me because they've watched your video. And it makes me so happy to know that something that I'm doing is helping a local person from this place to share his story and his family story. So definitely something that I'm very, very happy for.
SPEAKER_02So it's just such a wonderful lesson, again, for anybody at any age. And the younger, the younger the better. Um, I'm gonna shift our attention just a little bit because we we often talk about learning as an important outcome of a program like Bray Scholars. And I'm wondering if you could share anything with us about something you might have unlearned during your travels.
SPEAKER_00One of the main things for me that brought a lot of peace as well, was hearing from so many morning program speakers, something that so many of them had in common was that what they studied in university wasn't directly connected to what they were doing. And I think that's something that I grew up learning, especially in Spain, with the education system. Whenever it's time for you to choose what to study at university, you really learn this direct connection between what you study at university is what you're gonna end up doing. So it's important that you take time to make the right choice. And that is something that I completely unlearned during Buret, not just with morning program speakers, but also the fellows that were traveling with us and the people we were meeting in different countries, realizing that if there is something you want to do, you will find your way towards that goal. So that is definitely something that I unlearned. Um and then, of course, an exp something that I also truly enjoyed learning about myself. I did think that some of the countries we're gonna visit, I was gonna feel maybe uncomfortable in different ways, or I was gonna be exposed to different aspects of my identity, or different things were gonna become more relevant depending on the country that I was in. But I felt so comfortable in all of the places that I visited, and just once again gained reassurance in the fact that being kind, smiling, and just connecting with people, it's so powerful in in our world, and that's so beautiful.
SPEAKER_02I think that's one of the things that um it's one of the really powerful things about the world that can very easily get lost in the kind of doom and gloom, right? Is just the power of human-to-human connection.
SPEAKER_00I agree.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um so as you've been reflecting on the year, so now just see, it's it's uh February 16th, 2026. I don't know if uh if you've done the math here, Olivia, it's been almost nine months now since we concluded the the program.
SPEAKER_00I know. How did that happen? How did that happen?
SPEAKER_02How did that happen? So in those almost nine months since Bray Scholars ended, what would you say are some of the main ways in which you've grown?
SPEAKER_00I am very happy with how I've been able to prioritize myself at university. I had international friends who were already in universities in the US who had shared a lot of anecdotes with me, and I definitely thought that I was more than ready to start university. But it's true that no matter how many countries I've had the chance to explore, it is here in the US where I've had the biggest culture shock. A lot of university life, a lot of the small talk, a lot of the social norms that I didn't know were gonna be like this. So it's a time where there's a lot of peer pressure to do certain things, or I think that now we're experiencing in many universities in the US that certain careers like consulting, finance, they really are the ones that everyone is talking about in campus. And it feels like so many pre-professional clubs, it's what you have to do in order to be successful. So I'm very happy and very proud of myself for having carried with me those learnings that Borough gave me and knowing that success is different for different people. The idea of success varies from person to person, and really being able to make decisions based on how I want to use my time at university. So that is something that has brought a lot of growth, a lot of learning how and when to say no, and learning what are the things that I want to prioritize to use university in the way I want to.
SPEAKER_02Have there been times when you've had to resist social pressure? To I mean, with specifically with regards to these the clubs that you mentioned, and this sounds like a like a real culture of that's focused around these particular career paths.
SPEAKER_00Yes, there's so many here at Duke, consulting clubs have a lot of presence. So there's like main clubs that everyone is trying to join, and there's a whole rushing process. And sometimes like these narratives, when like some of the resources of the university are really centered towards these career paths as well, you start wondering: wait, I was thinking of studying this. Would this be more useful? Would this be more practical? So it's taken some time of like reflection of sitting down and okay, maybe all of my friends are applying to this thing. Is this something that I actually want to do? Is this something that is linked to what I want to do in the future? So there have been moments of resisting those social pressures.
SPEAKER_01Has that been challenging at all?
SPEAKER_00Sometimes it's been tricky because it's true that some of those, it's not only from an academic point of view, but it can also come from a social point of view. And when you're once again in a new place, this has been my third time in four years starting over. Once again, going through this process of building friendships and meeting people and building connections. So sometimes those can be shortcuts into having a friend group or having those relationships. That part, I it definitely was challenging, the beginning of university. And the first term was a lot of adaptation and of answering these questions. And winter break was useful for that, having that conversation with myself. Okay, Olivia, what has worked, what has not worked, what do you want to do with this time at uni? And what are the things that are gonna help you make those? So it's been challenging, but it's also like you've the question itself, it's also led to a lot of personal growth in this span of time.
SPEAKER_02Well, sticking with the Theme of reflection and remembering. What do you recall about the re-entry process after you left? So I mean that like we were together so intensively for so long and then suddenly it's over, and then there's what's next. Can you share with us about what that process was like for you?
SPEAKER_00The first days after Bur ended, complete roller coaster of emotions because I left Beijing and I went with Pavlina to Mostar to see our first years graduate. So I moved from a goodbye, a very, very sad goodbye, to a happy reunion with some of my best friends who I spent two years with in Mostar. So it was just dealing with those emotions at the same time and then arriving home. And once again, the goodbyes now from the people from my boarding school at University of Mostar, from the very people. And then I have the reunion with my family. And every time I come back home, there's a moment of me standing in my room, looking and observing the walls, just thinking, what did just happen? And that's a feeling that I first experienced while I was leaving Bosnia, Herzegovina to go back to Spain. I was at the airport, and it was my first time on my own at an airport after all the travel with all the travels with Boré. And it felt so strange. I remember I was just staring at a white wall. I was on my own with my backpack and I started sobbing. And I was like, I I don't even know. Like this has been insane. And it's so hard to even make sense of everything that has happened. So the press of going back home, I'm very glad that I was able to have a lot of conversations with my parents and a lot of conversations with my friends. And something that I did that also helped. It's something that we talked about with Buret. Like you come back and people ask you, Oh, how was it? And you're like, what part? Yeah, exactly. How was September? How was the first week of October? How was May? So something that I did during the summer that was very helpful to bring the people around me into the experience and be able to share more with them. I organized a photography exhibition in one of the cultural centers in my city from Pictures from Barré. And I also gave a presentation. It was like a 30-minute presentation in which I really dived into the learnings of these experiences that I've been having in the past three years. And it was so valuable because after that presentation, so many of my friends came to me. Wait, I learned so many things you had never shared with us. I didn't know this was also part of your experience. I didn't know this is how you were feeling. So having that space to bring people into the experience in a more insightful way was very valuable because it's so hard to hold those conversations in which you feel like people around you will never understand what is it that you've just experienced.
SPEAKER_01It seems like such a beautiful way.
SPEAKER_02Here's I'm just going to fast forward to where I'm going with this, which is you're you're going through something alone, and there's not right there a ready-made community for you to do the kind of processing that you need to do. So what did you do? You created a community. Not only that, you didn't just create a community, you created a community by giving something, which was sharing with others about your experience. So it benefited them. And then so you've got you've got a process for like going through and understanding what it is that you've been through. You've got people that you're contributing to by sharing all of this, and and then a brand new community that didn't exist before.
SPEAKER_00It was it was very special. I remember that day, and my grandparents were on the first row of seats, and it was just very special. And so many people as well that I didn't know came, which was also kind of the goal for other students and other people from my hometown to know that these opportunities exist.
SPEAKER_02It's just such a uh, you know, we talk about coping mechanisms generally kind of a negative light, like things that we do that might be harmful in order to deal with some kind of complex feelings that we just don't want to address. And it's just it's just such a it's such a wonderful way of coping. It goes so it goes so far beyond coping. So I just wanted to sort of flag that and name it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So next question I've got for you is so here you were with about a hundred peers from about 40 countries. And I figure you must, and of course you before that you had you had been at UWC for a couple years. So you know a thing or two about how to communicate and collaborate effectively across cultures. What insights have you gained in this regard that you could share with us as a result of all of your experiences?
SPEAKER_00For me, the main thing when being able to hold any conversation where maybe you disagree with the person who you're having that conversation with is listening. The importance of listening. Like I said at the beginning, people's stories have truly changed the way I see the world. And one of my main things, one of these big quotes that I was sharing with people during my presentation during the summer was our similarities are far greater than the differences that divide us. And that is a lesson that I keep in mind every time I find myself in a situation where I'm learning something new, where I'm sitting with someone holding an opposite point of view. There was this time at UWC in which someone put a poster up for the um International Workers' Day with some symbols from the Soviet Union. And so many people texted in the group chat and they said, you shouldn't be doing this on the school building. For some of us, this is triggering. And another person suggested to have a debate that night at the canteen. And I everyone was there that night. So many people often like skip dinner. Everyone was there that day. And we were in a semicircle, and the way it started, it felt like it was going to be more of like a debate, but it really turned into just understanding why the person, where the person is coming from, understanding their context, understanding the story that has led them, that has contributed to them having that point of view. And I think that was a super insightful experience that has completely influenced the way in which I approach these kind of conversations. And also one of the experiences that I had in in Barra, I remember we stayed some time extra with one of the morning program speakers, and I think he was holding like an extra session in the afternoon, and we were talking about climate action. And one of these things that happened, I felt uncomfortable with one of the things that I mentioned. Because with climate action, I the environment is something that I care deeply about. And I am at the moment studying environmental sciences and policy, and I do want to do something for environmental rights. And one of the things that I said is that it's not really that much when it comes to environmental action, it's not that much about educating people. Like we know what we have to do, we just don't want to do it. And then one of the break members as well, one of the other students, raised the point, very important point, of the fact that being able to take action is also a privilege. So it generally is about listening, understanding the context, getting to know people's stories, and seeing that our values are very different, very similar deep down. So I think, yeah, listening is one of the main things when navigating cross-cultural dialogue and mediating any kind of conflict.
SPEAKER_01Listening. Okay.
SPEAKER_02There's a particular way it seems that one needs to listen in order to achieve this outcome of actually bringing people closer together because it's very easy when listening to hear something that maybe you really would rather not hear, at least not in the moment, right? So how did you how did you and I could like the the example that you just shared seems particularly could be really charged, right? Because you could say someone was calling you out on your privilege or something like that, right? Um and I could easily imagine that you could have reacted defensively, um, at least inside your own mind and heart, if not externally. Do you remember how you received that, both both in terms of what you were doing inside your yourself and then also outwardly?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. We were sat in a circle and there were more students involved in the conversation. And I remember I just stayed silent. For a moment I was just like, let me reflect, let me take this in. So I was just I felt uncomfortable. And I just sat with that thought for a moment. Um and just decided to listen to see how the conversation was gonna continue and learn a bit more about this idea that maybe I had heard of before, but I had internalized something, not really including that other perspective.
SPEAKER_01That right there, that technique.
SPEAKER_02Not just technique, it's like uh the awareness, the awareness that there's there's something here to learn potentially. I'm not going to speak because speaking might actually do harm in some way or at least, you know, impede progress. And then actually sitting with that uncomfortable feeling, like that right there. If like can you imagine, Olivia, if a world where that was just like a normal thing for humans to do?
SPEAKER_00I know.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's a beautiful, that's a beautiful example. I appreciate you sharing it.
SPEAKER_00Thank you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Uh so what's next for you? I mean, your your first year at Duke. Um, what did you say you're majoring in?
SPEAKER_00I'm doing a double major in public policy and environmental sciences and policy.
SPEAKER_02Okay. And why have you chosen this double major, which I'm sure is not easy. Double major I mean, any double major is intense. That sounds like a particularly intense double major.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So, like I said, the environment is something that I'm passionate about. And before joining Buret, it's something that I thought of maybe doing a minor or maybe just an interest that I continue to explore in different ways, but not making my university career about that. And one of my some of my favorite fellowships were very much connected to nature, like the Amazon rainforest. We spent seven days navigating through the Black River. Such a beautiful experience. And then another of my favorite fellowships was in Cougar National Park, um, carrying out a nature conservation project throughout some days. And it was while being there, we were with Martin, who is one of the leaders of the organization we were working with. And we had lectures. This is in South Africa, yes. And we had lectures every day, and the way he explained things so in such a genuine and passionate way, and one of the quotes that he shared with us during one of those days was in order to protect something, you first need to understand it. You first need to get to know it. And I think that is something that kind of like clicked. And I told myself, wait a moment, I do want to protect nature. And if I do want to do that, I do need to understand it, I do need to get to know it. So my very experience has completely influenced my major choice for university, which is something that I'm very grateful for. Because each passing day, whenever I have the chance of exploring different opportunities here at Duke or different clubs that I may be wanting to join, or different study abroad opportunities, I see that I'm really heading towards that part of environmental nature conservation, and it's very exciting. And then public policy, I'm also very interested in human rights. It's something that while in UWC and while in Buret, when you're part of a community, like all the things that you've been listening to in the news and on TV, all of a sudden it's no longer about random numbers. It's about the people you're living with. It's about your friend's family members, it's about your friend. It's your friend's life. And when you're in a community like that, when you're part of that, not caring is not an option. I you start having this strong feeling of not only I want to do something, but I know I can do something because I've seen it with my eyes. I've seen people driving positive change in their communities. No matter how small they are, it is an impact and it adds up. So it's that combination of human rights, environmental rights, maybe the intersection of both that I'm feeling very passionate about and that I want to continue exploring during my time at university and see what shape that can take.
SPEAKER_02I think you've actually answered the next question I was gonna ask you. I'm I'm gonna ask I'm gonna ask you anyway to see if you have anything else that you want to add to that.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_02Uh but the question is about the future and the future of the planet and the future of our species, because it doesn't take much to see that this is a world that's full of suffering and that much of that suffering is caused by us humans. And it can be super easy to start feeling overwhelmed. It can be easy to lose hope. Have you got any words to encourage us about the future, Olivia?
SPEAKER_00It's honestly something that I reflected a lot during my first term because one of my classes was specifically about this. Um, my class was Beyond Denial. And it was about bringing in the idea that in order to work towards a better future, the importance of first imagining that future and helping people imagine that future. One of the speakers that we had at Duke during last term was Pete Boutiche, and one of the things that he said was the importance of perceiving hope as the consequence of action. Hope will not only come because you're positive, hope will come when you see that you're doing something and that's creating change. I think it's important to take action, to really contribute to building the world you want to see around you, and it is by doing those things that hope will emerge as a consequence. So that was one of the codes that he shared, and I think it was very, very valuable. It is hard, it is difficult, but I've seen change with my own eyes, and yes, it's important to think beyond, but at the same time, it's important to give value to small actions and to understand that it's small actions coming together what will lead to bigger impact and greater actions. So, yeah. One of the things as well that Ali mentioned from our cohort, I remember he said this one day in a discussion or a conversation we're probably having at Parade, talking about hope and talking about is it ideal idealistic to want to change the world? And he said, if each of us helps one person, if we each decide to help one person one day, we'll be helping 8 billion people. And I think it's very valuable. It doesn't take much effort to help one person, but if we all do so, we're helping a lot of people. So I think, yeah, I it can be hard, it can be complicated, but it's definitely worth it to try and change things.
SPEAKER_02Beautiful. And I also I'm really struck also by Pete Butterj's um reframing of hope. Hope has this sort of a kind of kind of a passive overtones too. It's like, oh well, I hope this happens, I hope this happens. And he's just sort of taken that and said, no, that's not what hope is. So that's brilliant. That's that's that's something I'm taking away from this.
SPEAKER_00I loved it, yes.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Olivia, thank you so much for sharing all of your wisdom with us and your experiences and your optimism and and everything. And in the midst of trying to carry out a double major at a very challenging stage of your life. So uh thank you so much for spending time with us. Is there anything else that you'd like to say before we wrap up?
SPEAKER_00No, this was so amazing. Thank you so much, Jason, for the invitation.
SPEAKER_02You're welcome. It's my pleasure. I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Olivia. If you did, please tell at least one friend about it. Give us a five star rating and follow the podcast. That will help others find us. Until next time, let's keep our heads clear and our hearts open.