LIFE

Teens are capable of anything: running a business, raising cash for a cause, making a difference, inspiring others. There are great girls everywhere—and in our new “Great Girls” series, created in partnership with Barbizon Modeling, we’ll shine a light on remarkable young women with incredible stories. Whether you get some solid ideas or just some serious inspo, take notes on these top-notch teens—and maybe we’ll be sharing *your* story someday soon.

Meet Alyss...

Alyss Masundire, 17. grew up giving back to her local community—so when she was offered a trip over spring break to volunteer, she jumped at the opportunity. After helping women in Peru, Alyss’ passion for philanthropy only grew stronger. Now, not only is she volunteering in her school and community, she is inspiring us all to get out there and do our part, no matter how big or small. Peep our interview with Alyss for how her trip to Peru opened her eyes to the world and gave her a brand new perspective. 

 

Girls' Life: Tell us a little about your trip to Peru? Why were you there? 
Alyss: My school offers international spring break trips for the older students and when we were sophomores, my friends and I decided to sign up for the Peru trip. I had the amazing opportunity to help hand build a weaving center in Peru so local woman could have one central place to make and sell their products. I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my life.

GL: Did you ever get to meet any of the women you were building the weaving centers for? What was that like?
Alyss: We spent about two days at the building site, and on the second day I decided to spend some time in the kitchen where the locals were kind enough to make us lunch. It was extremely humbling, and I learned how dependent I was on modern appliances. By the end of the day my hands were covered in cuts from using a blade to peel potatoes and my arms were sore from hand grinding corn. The day after we also traveled to a local village and got to watch some of the women make their pieces. The talent it takes is amazing.

GL: What can you tell girls about the benefits of traveling abroad for community service?
Alyss: Volunteering abroad is now one of my favorite things. The way I see it, the place you travel to gets to impact you while you make an impact on it as well. There's nothing like literally being able to look over the mountains at a breathtaking view while you know you're making a difference in someone's life.

GL: What is one thing you took away from your trip?
Alyss: This probably sounds extremely cliché, but it really gave me a new perspective on life. While places like Lima are gorgeous destinations to visit, they have their wealthier and poorer places just like the U.S. When we help our local environments, we should also consider those a bit farther away.

GL: It seems like you are very passionate about volunteering. Why is this so important to you?
Alyss: I've pretty much grown up giving back. My grandmother started a homeless shelter with her church, and my family has worked there my whole life. I just loving being able to help other people. While there's nothing wrong with doing big gestures, even something as simple as donating to Goodwill can make a difference. As long as you have good intentions, it doesn't matter how you give of your time and energy and that's what I love about it. I am always volunteering somewhere—I do the summer reading program from June to July and then in the fall, I help with school orientation and walk dogs at the local shelter. 

If you want to start volunteering, there are *so* many resources available online for finding the perfect gig. Some of our faves include: VolunteerMatch, TeenLife, United Way and American Red Cross. 

Want to see what Barbizon Modeling is all about—and help people all over the world like Alyss did? CLICK HERE to get more information about programs and opportunities.

by Emily Mullin | 3/13/2017