ABOUT ME
I am . . .
Pearl Cana
From being born in the Philippines on December 10, 2001, to emigrating to the U.S. in 2007, to then growing up for many years in Los Angeles of California, I have learned many things. Learning the English language was a great barrier for me since I only spoke Tagalog. Attempting to speak it had been not only difficult but also embarrassing. I was ashamed of my noticeable foreign accent so I figured back then it would have been better to not speak at all. I told myself that I would only speak during times that when it was necessary.
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Over the years, I had learned more and more of English, breaking bits of my language barrier off and strengthening my ability to see a person beyond the naked eye - to listen and to relate with others, or in other words, to empathize.
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With the continuous issue of teen drug and substance abuse, I see this as a time to SPEAK - a time that I deem as absolutely NECESSARY.
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Though I myself have never struggled with any form of drug and substance abuse, it was meeting and conversing with other victims that had inspired me to advocate against this issue.
It was seeing some of my friends fall to marijuana, as a result of feeling overwhelmed with school high expectations and burdened with family problems, that moved me.
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It was watching my 7th grade classmate, the intelligent boy who had answered all my math questions, tremble uncontrollably in class - after drinking 3 unprescribed pills to impress his friends - that moved me.
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It was personally meeting Tim Zaal, a former white Supremacist and Neo-Natzi who was fueled with violence, anger, and alcohol, that moved me - moved me to believe that anybody is capable of change if given the right resources, support, and empathy.
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I was given the opportunity to pick a topic for a community service project, coming from a nonprofit organization called Mentor For Change. Remembering all these people and acknowledging many more who have been or who are currently crippled by teen drugs and substance abuse, I had decided that I wanted to use the platform to shine light towards this issue..
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In light of all this, I hope to uplift struggling youths and contribute to the transformation of our community that is more positive, supportive, and wholesome environment.
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