Hi, my name is MaryElizabeth and I am very excited and grateful to participate in this year’s event. I grew up in Hampton, South Carolina, where my family has lived for a very long time. Growing up in this rural community created a strong curiosity within me about the larger world and function of humanity. This led me to pursue a double major in Political Science and Communications at the University of South Carolina, where I studied, worked in the field, and experienced personal challenges that encouraged healing and growth. As I developed a deeper relationship with myself, I refined my goals and decided to leave South Carolina to explore political and cultural advocacy through a masters in Global Communications in France. Now I live in Paris with my puppy Tolle and I find it to be a beautiful environment for me to study my interests and challenge personal narratives. My formal education is centered around globalization, cultural advocacy, politics and development, and I am looking forward to a career in advocacy. I have personal interests in spirituality, philosophy, healing arts, and I love to explore the intersectionality between my personal and academic interests. As I continue to grow in my relationship with myself and the world around me, my goal is to cultivate and encourage personal peace. I believe that the bravest thing we can do as humans is to allow ourselves to be seen in our authenticity, and it’s my hope that by sharing a piece of myself through my talk, I can help foster acceptance, understanding, and connection.
