It’s been a while since we’ve heard from one of our favorites––guest blogger and teen anti-bullying advocate, Alyssa Antoci. Alyssa has been busy spreading her message of kindness. Today, she’s here to share about a special honor. Alyssa was recently invited to participate in a world-wide Kindness Conference. I’ll let her tell you all about it.
I was so thrilled when my mom got the call that she and I were invited to a Kindness Conference in Half Moon Bay. Kindness leaders from all around the world, including a leader from Unesco who traveled all the way from New Delhi, came to make this conference.
I got to meet so many new amazing people who are all working for the same goal. We all collaborated to come up with ideas to form more kindness in this world. I had no idea what to expect but there was so much love and support in the room that I took away from this experience!
The first night we all got together to have dinner and I immediately built a bond with another youth leader! Her name is Morgan Guess and she started an anti-bullying foundation with her mother called The Guess Anti-bullying Foundation. Morgan and I connected right away because we are kind-hearted and we’re both fighting and standing up for an important cause.
The next day the conference started bright and early at 9am. It was a 10 hour day collaborating with so many smart, impactful and passionate kindness leaders! I didn’t think I could last 10 hours in a room with the same people, but as the day ended we became like family. I was the only youth in my group of 6 adult kindness leaders from around the world and I was pretty nervous at first to split up from my mom!
Our group came up with a Kindness Broadcasting network that we had to support and stand behind and prove how it could work to the rest of the other groups. I learned to trust and work in a group situation where I could be a strong voice as a youth and feel like I’m changing this world. I also formed close bonds with other youth leaders and got to go to dinner with them. We all celebrated our work and effort.
I will never forget these people and the wonderful experience I encountered! I thank Wendy and Nancy for putting on such a wonderful conference. We are now all collaborating to put on a bigger event where we will all be involved! I can not wait to see all of my new found friends and make more!
Please check out kindnessevolution.org to learn more about the Kindness Conference, this movement and, these wonderful people.
Thank you, Alyssa! We are so proud!
Alyssa Antoci is the fifteen-year-old author of an anti-bullying children’s book called The Purple Marble. She speaks regularly in schools as an anti-bullying advocate. She also has a charity called Just a Little Cloth Children’s Charity, where they donate fancy dresses to underprivileged girls, because every young girl deserves to feel beautiful. Follow her on Instagram @alyssabantoci.