Two Cutler Bay students went to Rome to meet the pope and to change the world

Twenty students from schools around the world gathered last week in Vatican City to meet Pope Francis and celebrate working together in harmony.

And even though the students speak different languages, are of different cultures and religions and live in different places, they are thriving and making a difference through the international citizenship program, Scholas Occurrentes.

Two of the students live in Miami.

Sophomore Drew Landsaw and senior Marina Marquis attend Cutler Bay Senior High School. They traveled to Vatican City on Dec. 10 as the U.S. representatives of Scholas Occurrentes, which the pope launched in 2017.

“It’s changing my grandson’s life,” said Drew’s grandmother, April Miller. “They tell the students to go back into their communities and solve a problem.

“The goal is to be in every school. And other than that the pope started it, the group is non-sectarian. There’s no religion involved. It’s all about young people doing good and making harmony in the world.”

At the same time, Victoria Moreira of Miami Beach Senior High School and Jorge Valero of Coral Gables Senior High School had the honor of opening the new Scholas Occurrentes headquarters in Los Angeles. Those in Rome were able to watch the ceremony live online; Jorge addressed the pope remotely during the event.

All four students traveled to Mexico City in October where they met the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and about 200 Scholas Occurrentes participants from other countries during Encuentro internacional de Jovenes. Jorge was selected to speak to the president at the National Palace.

“You have to understand that all these kids speak different languages. The ways they communicate is through team building, art, dance, music and free expression,” Miller said.

“At the end of the gathering in Mexico, they went from not knowing each other to hugging and crying. They didn’t want to leave each other.”

Other countries participating included Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Haiti, Columbia, Argentina, Spain, Mozambique, Italy and Israel. The citizenship program is in 190 countries and 450,000 educational agencies around the world.

Miller said the students are encouraged to find practical solutions, and to teach others to do the same.

“They learn tolerance and to strive to be leaders to encourage peace among all cultures. They are emissaries of this philosophy,” she said.

Cutler Bay High student Marina was one of two students invited to sit next to Pope Francis and give a speech during the inauguration ceremony of the Scholas Occurrentes headquarters in Vatican City. She and Drew also attended the Vatican’s annual holiday concert.

During the celebrations in Rome, Cutler Bay Senior High School Principal Lucas J. De La Torre arranged for the school’s students to watch the event and their classmates, Drew and Marina.

“I had no idea how drastically my views of the world would change. I’ve met people who lead lives far removed from mine, and yet we were able to connect and share joy in simple human intimacy,” Marina wrote after her week in Mexico.

“I began to see the world as a beautiful map to travel, unfurling and defining itself for me rather than directing me down a clearly engraved path. I truly believe that the only way to tackle the issues of today is to view different perspectives and people in this way.”

For Drew also, the experience was enriching.

“Scholas Occurrentes lets the students shine as individuals, all in our own way. It is a world in which we are truly one culture,” Drew said. “Scholas has provided me with something that I believe in deeply, something that will change the world, and something that I love with all my heart.”

Orange Bowl Art Contest winner

“The Future is Bright for Those Who Play & Eat Right” was the theme for the annual Orange Bowl Creative Art Contest. More than 3,700 Miami-Dade and Broward County students, in kindergarten through 12th grade, submitted artwork for a chance to win a multitude of prizes.

The artwork included visual representations of South Florida, college football, healthy lifestyles, and OBIE, the Orange Bowl’s official mascot.

Sophia Nesselroth from Cooper City High in Broward County won the Grand Prize. Sophia will receive a $500 Nike gift card and a custom Orange Bowl bicycle for her winning artwork, and will be part of the on-field presentation at the 2019 Capital One Orange Bowl Dec. 30.

And her artwork will be featured in the official game program. There were first-, second- and third-place winners in four grade level categories and they will also receive gift cards.

Nichole Caballero, from Ruben Dario Middle School in Miami-Dade County, won this year’s “People’s Choice” award for her artwork submission that received the most “likes” on Instagram. Nichole will receive an OB swag bag.

Art teacher Jennifer Goss from Falcon Cove Middle School in Broward County motivated her students to submit 354 entries, the most of any participating school. Goss will receive a $100 Office Max gift card. Learn more at www.orangebowl.org.

If you have news for this column, write to ChristinaMMayo@gmail.com.