Peace, Wonder and Understanding Islam

Student Name: Alicia Eskridge

Student Email: alicia.eskridge@ousd.us
Student Phone Number: (510)-253-9725
Street Address:2719 Frazier Ave
City/Town: Oakland
State/Province: CA
Postal Code: 94605
Country: United States of America
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Grade Level: 10th
Current School: Metwest High School
Have you traveled with Rustic Pathways before?
No
Are you enrolled to travel with Rustic in 2017?
No
Do you speak another language?
No

Essay#1

Religious acceptance is important because we should all be allowed to practice our own beliefs
without fear. We should be able to converse about our spiritual beliefs and our differences
without being divisive, but united. Its not about agreeing with others but developing an
understanding of what our beliefs have in common not the differences.Its also important that we
understand and change the inequities around religious freedom. For example,in America, in
court you place your hand on the Holy Bible and swear an oath.Yet theres no option for you to
place your hand on the Torah, Quran, Vedas,or Tripitaka.
I would be excited to take part in this program to grow my own understanding of the Islamic
religion. I have been inundated with negative stereotypes of the Islamic faith for so long. I want
to build my own truths based on life experiences. This trip will give me the knowledge and the
tools to help dispel and negate the long held misguided beliefs I have been exposed to.

Essay#2

For my commitment project Im going to do this culture day event at my school. This day will
be centered around learning about someones culture and having conversations. Conservations
that lead to or help us develop a deeper understanding of the importance of diversity. A day
where everyone's culture is represented in; art,music,dance,language,religion food,etc. I hope
this event will be the start of new friendships, cultivate religious acceptance and become an
annual event.

Essay #3

My leadership style is versatile.I assess the situation then act accordingly. I can be a leader that
gets the job done and bring the fun. For example, me and a couple of friends created a
business called Droplet through a class called BUILD. I was fortunate enough to be appointed
CEO. My groupmates and I had to prepare for a pitch showcase to receive money to start our
business. As the CEO of the business it was my job to make sure that our presentation was well
done so we can receive as much money as possible. I really wanted my groupmates to feel
proud of our presentation. Even if we didn't get the amount of money we were asking for from
the investors, at least we would feel that we did our absolute best. I motivated and helped
everyone their part and made sure we were prepared. As the showcase approach, I observed
that they began to feel nervous and thought about not coming. Im a prime believer that laughter
is the best medicine,so I made a couple of jokes to ease the tension.

The group experience:

I honestly do not have a preference on who I go with. I'm more of a go-with-the-flow type
person, so I tend to get along with anyone and everyone. I love engaging with new people and
giving them the space they need to be themselves. When I went to China last summer I was
with a group of students from all over the bay area that I didnt know prior to going .Now we are
all good friends today. I went into the trip with an open-mind, a smile and my love of music. I
found that music was the best way to break the ice. There is a song for every awkward moment
and uncomfortable situation.
I think the best way to fully experience this trip is actually being surround by people you dont
know. I want to be exposed to new thinking and ideas, so i can expand or began rethinking my
own.

Diversity:

I feel like am diverse in many ways for several reasons. To begin, I really like experiencing new
things outside of my comfort zone. I take advantage of opportunities that allow me to be
exposed to different cultures. For example, when I went to China I got the chance have Dim
sum and try pig brain for the first. I really enjoy trying new things. Secondly, Im friends with a
variety of people. Everyday I get the chance to experience different culture and traditions
through their eyes. For example, I learning about the Jewish and Puerto Rican culture because
of the friendships I have developed. I am open and I put myself out there, so I can continue to
grow my cultural competence.
Character Reference:

Jake Seltzer, Advisor

jake.seltzer@ousd.org

He is a teacher at my high school.

Parent/Guardian Name: Kenya Payne

Parent/Guardian Email: kenyapayne46@gmail.com
Parent/Guardian Phone: (510) 253-9369
Parent/Guardian Mailing Address: 2719 Frazier Ave, Oakland, CA 94605