Marisa is passionate about caring for this beautiful Earth we call home and empowering people to know their lives matter in this world. Throughout high school, Marisa has been involved in various clubs and activities ranging from track and field to the school board student representative to a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Before Marisa embarks on her journey to Ecuador, she will be working on an oral history project for the local Island County Museum. The purpose of the project is to collect the stories of notable citizens through an interview process. By doing this, it will preserve the Island's history and keep it alive for generations to come. Her goals for the year are to gain a deeper understanding of the Ecuadorean culture, environment, and people; ultimately she will return to the U.S. with stories and experiences from Ecuador to share with her home community. While there are many quotes that inspire Marisa , "Use your smile to change this world. Don't let this world change your smile" is one that she'd like to model not only in her global citizen year, but in her life.