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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Josie Zamora
By JoEllen Collins for the Weekly Sun
Josie Zamora, a senior at Wood River High School, has the ability to communicate effectively and to be open-minded. These qualities are a central part of her passions.
“At the end of the day, I want to have made a positive impact on someone by being helpful in person or by working to sustain a better environment for the world,” Zamora said. “I hope to bring the knowledge I’ve acquired at school and in my future studies to a wider group of people who also can benefit from and learn about ways to create a better life.”
Zamora appreciates her teachers, the school’s academics, and being able to practice some of her interests through clubs and extracurricular experiences.
“In the Water Club, we spend time finding ways to better the Valley’s environment,” she said. “I was involved in the bee project, where our group planted over a thousand seeds in the high-school greenhouse. We also gave away the seedlings in the springtime to people in the community.”
As well, Zamora enjoys being in Wood River’s Art Club.
“We also do community service with that club,” she said. “Among many projects, we baked cookies for Safe Haven, and loved how the residents were so happy. Helping others feels good.”
Zamora’s art, reflecting her vitality and concerns, was featured in a pop-up exhibit this past weekend in Ketchum.
She also plays the viola, and is “excited to take part in state competition for solos and ensembles with my quartet, the Roca Loca,” she said.
Zamora’s family is supportive of her need to explore the larger world beyond the Wood River Valley.
“My parents have always supported me in things like jiu-jitsu, kickball, and my imagination,” she said. “They were totally behind my trip to India last year, in spite of the distance and potential difficulties, because they sensed how much I could learn there.”
The Flourish Foundation and its Compassionate Leaders granted Zamora the chance to go to India. Her daily routine was challenging.
“I spent weeks there volunteering in a school for Indian children, in Leh Ladakh, a town located in northern India, with other members of the Compassionate Leaders,” she said. “We awoke at 6 a.m. After meditation and breakfast, we worked in the garden, in the preschool, and with the elderly. One of the activities I most enjoyed was spending time with the older women, who were sweet and receptive, even with the language barrier.”
This trip reinforced her convictions.
“How can we be expected to change the world if we haven’t experienced it?” Zamora said. “I have a new perspective. Being with and understanding another culture and having communication between us may make a difference.”
“I plan to study marine biology as a way to leave my mark on the world’s history,” she said.
First, she will attend Orange Coast Community College in Costa Mesa, Calif., and later transfer to the University of Santa Barbara.
“I really just want to help the world’s understanding of the ocean,” she said.
Each week, JoEllen Collins will be profiling a local high-school student. If you know someone you'd like to see featured, e-mail joellencollins1@gmail.com.