i-ACT Ambassador Highlight: Miriam Rueda

I first met Miriam at Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in Pacoima, CA in Fall 2009. She was the start of something great called Project ETHA: Engaging Teens in Humanitarian Action at their High School. They hosted Camp Darfur and by the following February 2010, they had trained a group of 8th graders to also host Camp Darfur and engage their peers. The following year, they launched their first ETHA Human Rights Conference. The original group of ETHA students was an exceptional group whom I was fortunate enough to work with for three years in a row. The last time I saw Miriam was just a few months before Leila was born in April 2012. Miriam and several other students were attending Jewish World Watch’s annual Walk to End Genocide and helped me break down Camp Darfur.

Miriam has followed our work over the years, taking our actions, donating, and reposting updates on social media. Most recently she has become an i-ACT Ambassador. We were finally able to connect last Thursday and I left the call eager to continue working together. She has fresh ideas and limitless energy to engage her local community, including some of her past Project ETHA crew members.