My Operation Smile Summer Experience

This summer, I went to ISLC for a week, which is an international leadership conference with Operation Smile, and it was at the University of Maryland. Operation Smile changed me in so many ways I can’t even put it into words. I met so many life long friends that I never thought I could ever meet, not to mention they were from all around the world! I’ve traveled all around the world and met all kinds of people, but I’ve never been in one place with so many people from so many different countries!

I also learned about how helping people doesn’t only impact others, it also impacts you. At ISLC, the international leadership conference, I felt like the world was stopped for just that one week where nothing mattered except what I’m doing for myself, and the new friends that I made.

At ISLC, you do things that you wouldn’t normally do. For instance, we did so many workshops and activities in our groups that we became like family in the span of a week. One workshop I’ll never forget is when we sat in a circle for over an hour just sharing different stories about ourselves. I don’t think I’ve ever had time to connect with people like that, it genuinely was so emotionally peaceful.

Another event that I remember was the team games; you don’t even have to be athletic to participate, all you needed was a great attitude, and loud support for your team. Besides the bonding aspect, the learning aspect was just as incredible! I got to understand what it’s like growing up with a cleft palate, and how hard it is to feel different. It gave me a drive to change this, and I felt bad that not everyone can just smile and laugh like it’s a normal thing. Smiling is a privilege, but all those kids including me, all wanted to change that.

I think that was the coolest part of all of this — all these kids took a week off of their summer just to learn how to help people, and grow as a person. ISLC helps you grow as a person, and forces you to make relationships that will last forever. While a leadership conference doesn’t sound like the most fun way to spend your summer, I don’t think I could’ve had a better summer because of ISLC.

Learning about how I can help these kids was genuinely a blessing and gave me the passion to want to be involved with Operation Smile as soon as I arrived back home. However, I can always know that ISLC is waiting for me next year as my home away from home.