TESTIMONIES

Testimonies from Daniels and Younge Fellows

Listen to Anna Sidigu, a seventeen year old freshwoman from Kenyon College who belonged to the first class of Daniels and Younge Fellows.

"SpiritHouse is changing with the world and changing with the times. I have had the wonderful opportunity of being a part of these changes. My work on the USA Patriot Act and, more recently, the Homeland Security Act has given me a much clearer view of the world. We live in a time of great turmoil and disconnection - a time in which racism is running rampant and fascism is quick at its heels. As a young person, I worry that we are allowing the wrong people to make the changes that most affect our lives. I also worry that out of these changes will come only violence, fear, and persecution.

SpiritHouse has opened my eyes to a new vision of my world and my future as an activist and writer. Asking questions, sharing ideas, "interrogating our deepest assumptions:" as Ruby Sales says, "to uncover the lies of systemic injustice," - all of these are integral to the work of SpiritHouse. Now, I better understand the roots of the prejudice and hostility I experienced as an immigrant child in the United States. I will take the knowledge and skills I have learned from my experience as a Daniels and Younge Fellow to improve life not only for myself, but also for all peoples everywhere."

Or listen to how The SpiritHouse Project transformed Mirna Callejas, an immigrant from El Salvador and a Daniels and Younge Fellow at SpiritHouse.

"Working with the SpiritHouse Project has been a wonderful experience because it has allowed me to meet a diverse group of young college students who are all working towards the same goal of making a difference in the lives of others. Thanks to this opportunity that was given to me by the Executive Director of this great organization, I am able to gain a new outlook in my life and in the way I perceive myself."