by: Brittany Baxendale
Walking around the halls of Westborough High School you probably find yourself knowing a number of the people. You often exchange hellos, or maybe even stop to talk with them for a bit. But how well do you really know your classmates beyond school? Before I got to know junior Helena Wright, I thought she was just an ordinary friendly girl; however, I discovered she’s more than that. After really getting to know her, I was able to observe what an amazing way of looking at life she has, as well as a great appreciation for the people around her.
Wright, age 16, participated in a trip to Rwanda, Africa this past fall. The way she reflects back on that trip truly shows how remarkable of a person she is. Wright first became interested in taking a trip to Rwanda when she heard her church was going. She had always been interested in the idea of going to Africa but never had a chance to pursue it. Wright has now made the trip two times. The first time she traveled she went for ten days with people from her church.
The second time she went was this year for a week with her whole family and another Westborough family, the Neil’s. When she arrived in Rwanda, her family along with the Neil’s brought many supplies. They brought supplies to aid schools, hospitals and orphanages. Wright said one of the most beneficial things about going to Africa was “realizing how happy people can be with so little.”
When asked what the greatest memory from her trip was, Wright shared that they sponsored a child named Yvonne from Rwanda. They have been sponsoring her for 9 years now, and they finally had the opportunity to meet her and bring her and her family gifts. Wright got to spend the whole day with that family and she said “by the end we felt almost like family and it felt so great to make a difference in this family’s life.”
This trip inspired Wright to consider a future in helping others and traveling to third world countries to help families in need. Helena’s experience goes to show how you may know a person, but you don’t always know how truly awesome a person is.
Wright described her trip as amazing, life changing and inspiring. Those are some words you could even use to describe Wright.
