Empowering Young Minds to See Potential Over Poverty

Gatekeeping: The Fine Line Between Opportunity and Inequality, Where a Share of Knowledge Can Change a Life.

I just had to share something with you that really touched me during my time here in Haiti. You know how much I love traveling, especially to places like this, where life is so different from what we're used to back home.

Today, as I was walking through the neighborhood where my dad lives, I saw this kid with the most striking features – freckles dotted across his face, and hair as fiery as the sun. I couldn't help but think, "Wow, this kid could be a model!" But then it hit me – he didn't even know what modeling was.

Can you imagine? In a world where we're bombarded with images of models and celebrities everywhere we turn, this kid had never even heard of it. It broke my heart to see someone with so much potential, completely unaware of the opportunities that exist beyond their own neighborhood.

As I looked at this kid, with his unique features and his innocent curiosity, I couldn't help but think about how he might feel like the awkward kid with freckles, while there's a whole world out there filled with people who look just like him – people who are being celebrated, people who are being paid and adored simply because they look so unique. 

It made me realize how unfair the world can be sometimes, and how much we take for granted the privileges we have. In America, we have access to education, to the internet, to a world of possibilities that so many people in places like Haiti can only dream of. 

But despite the challenges they face, despite the lack of resources and opportunities, there's still so much potential here. I've seen it in the people I've met, in the conversations I've had, in the way they face each day with resilience and hope.

Back in the day, there was so much I didn't know growing up as an immigrant's kid about resources or options. Majority of the people who come from third world countries and beat the odds, it all started by someone telling them. That's why gatekeeping to me is such an important topic these days. You can change someone's entire world by sharing something you've learned, probably from someone else. Be kind, share your resources, put somebody on, and share information you may have with someone. 

Im so grateful for the opportunities we have, but also humbled by the resilience and potential of people everywhere. Let's never forget how lucky we are, and let's never stop fighting to make the world a better, more equitable place for everyone.

Sending you love and gratitude from across the miles.

Check out my instagram for some of the photos I took of the freckle kid. He was very shy but my brother and I throw on some clothes to give him a experience on what it feels like to be a model.