Mariana Atencio: What makes you special?

What makes you special?

When journalist Mariana Atencio was seven, her father sent her from her home in Venezuela to a summer camp in Brainerd, Minnesota. Unsurprisingly, she was treated like an outsider. Over the course of many more such camps and a senior year in an American high school, she discovered that the best way to belong was to embrace the qualities that made her different. In this deeply personal talk, Atencio describes how these early lessons helped her succeed as an immigrant and as a journalist.

Belonging does not come from conformity, but from celebrating what makes each person unique. After being sent from Venezuela to a Minnesota summer camp at age seven, one outsider learned that connection starts with self-acceptance. Early experiences of exclusion, including feeling like an alien among classmates, revealed how easily society defines people as 'the other.' By recognizing and valuing personal quirks, individuals can build empathy, challenge stereotypes, and open doors for dialogue.