Meet Our New Volunteer: Soraia Correia
Justice Collective would like to introduce one of our volunteers this year- Soraia Correia! She will be managing social media projects this year and contributing to the blog, so we wanted to give her a chance to introduce herself. We are excited to have her on the team!
I am 23 years old with roots from all over the world. Because I was born in an European country- Portugal- and grew up in two African nations- South Africa and Angola, I was exposed to a cultural diversity few are fortunate to witness.
In our family, the value of knowledge has always been present and to us, wisdom means power. But at the same time, relationship is always top priority. I grew up knowing that true knowledge doesn’t just abide in self, but true knowledge is only fully expressed when it's used to help others.
Prior to coming to Redding, I was finalizing my business degree and volunteering for my home church in Johannesburg, South Africa. But while I was at home, contently surrounded by my loved ones, I knew that there was a whole world out there that I had something to give to.
I grew up with the notion that what I have is meant to serve beyond me. I believe that my own strength is not meant for boast or personal benefit, but to reach others. I think my generation’s main question (myself included) is “Why am I here?” Because we are living in a time where success is defined by possessions and popularity, it's easy to believe that the only way to succeed comes from making life all about the self. While I'm all for growth, self-improvement and self-awareness, I just know that I was made for more than just me.
So I traveled across the world, from South Africa to Redding, in hopes that a bilingual girl with a business degree and one-too-many stamps in her passport could serve. Which brings me to why I’m here, on American soil, volunteering for Justice Collective.
One of my favourite quotes is from Martin L. King which says “ Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. There’s something about living for something greater than myself, something greater than what I can see. I want to lay my head down every night knowing that I spent a whole day contributing to changing the world, changing a person and changing a life- and that tomorrow I get to do it again.
-Soraia Correia
