By Raquel Edmundson - Monsignor Edward Pace HS
MIAMI GARDENS | “Travel Awakens Leaders.” David Barbier found that out during a recent 12-day trip to West Africa.
Barbier, a senior at Monsignor Pace High School, was one of a dozen students who visited the Republic of Ghana with the Nyah Project Fellowship, a group founded on the belief that “Travel Awakens Leaders.” He's the first Pace student ever to have been chosen for the experience.
Photographer: Courtesy
Pace High School Senior David Barbier, top center, with a group of students during his trip to Ghana this summer with the Nyah Project Fellowship.
During their trip, the fellows explored the land, met people and learned about the culture of Ghana. They visited elementary, middle and high schools. They brought basic school supplies and helped teach the younger children lessons in math and reading. And they played soccer with students in the school courtyard.
Especially memorable for Barbier was when the group spoke to a group of high school students. He was surprised at the awareness of the students about issues facing American teenagers, such as gun violence, education and the experience of living as black youths in America.
During another emotional moment, the group met a mother who had lost her husband several years prior. Since then, she had not had the financial means to send her children back to school. The Nyah fellows pooled their own personal spending money, making it possible for the children to receive tutoring and return to school.
“This experience with the Nyah Project has inspired a new attitude within me to pay it forward,” Barbier said. “The flame within me to make a difference is burning stronger than ever, and I cannot ignore what’s happening in the world around us.”
Barbier is an active member of Pace High School. He is involved in various clubs and was elected by his peers as Student Government president for this upcoming school year.
Selection for this fellowship began in August 2017 and consisted of an online application followed by an intensive, 16-hour seminar and an interview before a 12-member panel. Barbier then attended several training sessions along with the other fellows, where they learned what to expect in their journey to Ghana.
