Meral

Hi my name is Meral and I am a high school student in the New York area.

I recently completed the FBI Teen Academy at FBI headquarters in Manhattan - we covered Terrorism, Cybercrime and Cyber Security, Public Corruption, White Collar Crime, Violent Crimes, Evidence Response, SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) demonstrations, Agency Operations and Careers, Investigative tactics used by Special Agents and Intelligence Analysts. I very much enjoyed my time there, it was a valuable learning experience and great fun.

As a Peace Agent with the Youth Peace Network, I facilitated interfaith dialogues and community service projects that established meaningful connections across diverse cultural and religious lines. This experience allowed me to develop advanced leadership and conflict-resolution skills while fostering a culture of mutual respect and empathy within our pluralistic community.

For 12 months I was part of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadet Program which is a paramilitary-style youth development program for students that acts as the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. The program helped development my skills and knowledge in Aerospace Education & STEM, Leadership and Followership, Character Development & Core Values (Integrity, Volunteer Service, Excellence, and Respect). Physical Fitness & Healthy Living, Practical Skills & Emergency Services

I enjoy volunteering and have done so numerous times.I very much enjoy cross cultural and interfaith work having assisted a mixed group of Jews and Muslims during a food tour as part of the Peace Islands Institute’s programming in New York, and similarly, volunteered at Temple Emanuel and St. Ignatius Church of Loyola both in Manhattan.

I volunteered for the “10th SDGs Conference: In the sidelines of the UNGA” for the Journalists and Writers Foundation(JWF), which is an international civil society organization primarily dedicated to advancing the culture of peace, human rights, and sustainable development. They achieve this by creating global forums for intellectual and social engagement, which fosters equity and inclusion. The JWF also monitors and reports on human rights violations, develops policy recommendations, and builds partnerships worldwide to support the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

I regularly volunteer as a mentor at Sky Academy helping set up events , most recently a “Friends Giving Dinner”. I am a regular volunteer as a Helper Teacher on weekends assisting teachers with their planning and managing students. In a similar role I volunteer at Edep Academy, helping teachers with their errands and students with their school work. I have previously been a Girl Scout and very much enjoyed the programs and connecting with others.

My favorite subjects at school are computer science and marketing (including business and entrepreneurship). For college I am interested in pursuing a mix of computer science, technology, finance and business or similar fields. My school clubs include: A.I ; Comp Sci and Model United Nations

My hobbies include attending cross-cultural and interfaith events, reading, I taught myself to play guitar and love learning new songs to play,I like listening to music, I like walking and hiking (we had a great family trip to 9 National Parks that was magical), I love to travel and find new spots to explore. I very much enjoy spending time in Manhattan and doing various activities as it’s such a wonderful city!

Thanks for visiting my bio